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Three Reasons Many Christians Don’t Know Their Calling
Unlike most Christians I know, my faith walk has been sort of a DIY project. Of course I’m being a bit silly, but for a girl who met Jesus alone in her room one very dark night, there was just no possibility of it coming together with any more finesse than I could muster in my own ignorance. I was sixteen, had trust issues and didn’t talk to anyone about the inner turmoil I was battling, and I certainly didn’t discuss my supernatural experience with God that changed the entire trajectory of my life. It was years before I walked through the doors of that small Baptist church in Phenix…
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Three Reasons Christians Should not Condemn the LBGTQ+ Community and Their Supporters
As the Biden administration amps up its support for the LBGTQ+ community by proclaiming June 2021, as Pride Month, many conservatives are pushing back, infuriated by what feels like another political attack against their Christian values. Businesses creating ads in support of Pride Month have already received backlash from conservatives. Many protest saying that businesses should remain nonpolitical and strive to minimize divisiveness, while providing all customers equal service regardless of race, religion or gender orientation. They wonder what is the point of the ad when there is really nothing new in the content. Haven’t they already been doing this? While others are utterly offended, and threaten to put action to their offense by boycotting businesses that advertise their support for the LBGTQ+ community, based upon…
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What’s Memorial Day Anyhow?
As we wake to preparations for cookouts and family time or lounging around on what may be just an extra day off work to us, we should know for many this day represents a cost; a sacrifice made for the betterment of mankind, not just in this country, but around the world where we have stood with other nations to defend those that don’t know the privilege we so often take for granted. Memorial Day is a symbol of the comforts of freedom so many of us enjoy in this country. It’s an opportunity to celebrate, and yet for many, never actually having to think about why we’re celebrating. As…
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Easter Hope
As I sit and relax in the post-Easter rush, I find myself pondering the day and the season. When we’re busy with young children and family, playing Easter Bunny and planning meals and activities, it’s easy to get bogged down in the preparation and miss the opportunity to truly consider what Easter means to us, not what it means to our neighbor or the church, or even our significant other, but what does it mean us? If we understand in our heart what Easter, and more specifically Jesus, means to us we can better evaluate what we’re conveying to others every day through our actions and words. Easter is a…
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Where’s the Peace?
We are three weeks into 2021, and the transition from mayhem has yet to begin. It’s hard not to feel a little discouraged. The COVID vaccine has been rolled out, though not fast enough to show any reduction in the rate of infection at this point, leaving the world in a perpetual state of pandemonium. Racial and political tensions remain high as a new leader takes office, and a nation once united, flounders pathetically. There really are no winners when the people are so divided, and my prayers are with any man, bold or foolish enough to grapple a people who hate so emphatically from all sides. We look expectantly…
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The Value of Gifts Given in Dreams
Although dreams can seem a random collection of thoughts and ideas, a sort of decluttering of the mind, I believe often these mysteries of the night are what dream teacher, John Paul Jackson would refer to as parabolic messages, where a story or thought is related in symbols. Parables are often associated with stories in the Bible. It was the way Jesus commonly shared his teachings. Although there may be many details in a dream, with numerous symbols, the overall meaning of a dream can usually be found in a few significant symbols. Significant symbols will stand out as more vivid or real, and are typically more memorable. They may…
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Happy Thanksgiving!
These are crazy times, though despite the craziness we must try to remember, the purpose of life isn’t found in long life, it’s found in living a full life…exploring the world and journeying with those we love at our side. That’s not meant to encourage reckless behavior, but rather a reminder that living a full life often requires risk…leaping into the unknowns and celebrating the outcomes. We never accomplish anything of value without facing the challenges and uncertainties of the path we follow. Please be safe, but choose today to live fully throughout this holiday season. We aren’t guaranteed next year or even next week to make up for lost…
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The Big Holiday Lie
With the holiday season already in bloom, the question these days is what to do with all these COVID restrictions? Most of the guidelines restrict gatherings to groups of 10 or less. In some areas it’s even fewer with specifics given on how many households can be represented at one particular gathering, and of course, there is the endless insistence upon showing up to all of your holiday gatherings donning that filthy mask crumpled on your floorboard. While the recommendations are there for in person gatherings, the majority of our public officials are pushing for a virtual holiday. I even received an email from my health insurance provider offering “creative”…
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Health, Wealth & Prosperity
The blessings of God are real. The Bible is full of stories that tell of God’s presence and blessing upon his faithful servants. We see it throughout the Old Testament, in the lives of the Patriarchs, Joseph, King David, Job and many others. If we read nothing beyond their years of blessing it’s easy to see why many might believe righteous living is always rewarded with perpetual good health, wealth and prosperity, but is this what the Bible really teaches? Sure David became king and Joseph ruled over Egypt, but there was great hardship in their long journey to prosperity. David spent years on the run, eluding the envious wrath…
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Divorce, Remarriage & The Bible
Although we think of divorce as something unique to our modern world, divorce is nearly as old as marriage itself. It is recorded in Ancient Mesopotamia, Rome and Greece, and is addressed in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Before Mosaic Law an Israelite could easily send his wife on her way with nothing, for any reason, and still demand she return if he later changed his mind. It made her undesirable for marriage to others and likely subjected her to a life in poverty if her husband never called her back. Although the Bible is clear that God’s intention for marriage is that it be a…
