My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. – John 15:12 “Good bye. Have a good day.” He whispers. I roll over and curl up, pulling the soft quilt up right under my chin. “Be careful. I need you!” I say. He kisses my forehead. “I need you too!” He says.Continue reading “You Are Blessed”
Category Archives: Faith
Difficult Definitions
As an editor, I love definitions. The field of lexicography can be complex, but when a definition is finally solidified, there’s comfort to be found. It becomes something stable. This is also the reason I love the book of Hebrews: the author is keen on definitions, clarifying terminology, and using analogies to prove his points.“NowContinue reading “Difficult Definitions”
Not with a Whimper But a Shout!
Whatever your end-time beliefs might be, I can assure you of this. God is not going to end this age with a whimper and on a note of defeat. Instead, He will bring His grand plan to pass with a climax — a climax of redemption and outpouring and salvation. I do believe that JesusContinue reading “Not with a Whimper But a Shout!”
A Heavenly Affection
Our Father who is in heaven … A FEW MORNINGS BACK I was jogging through my neighborhood. I’ve been known to miss some important dates, but even I could not miss the significance of that day. It was the first day of school. Reminders were everywhere: newscast interviews, stores packed with parents, yellow buses awakenedContinue reading “A Heavenly Affection”
Stirring Up Affections for God
This week we’ll spend time stirring up our affections for God through the renewing of our minds. Your mind is the gateway to your affections. What you think is worthy of your affections is what will receive them. So, as we grow in our understanding of God’s overwhelming goodness we will naturally give him ourContinue reading “Stirring Up Affections for God”
What You Cannot Forget
After nearly two decades, the memory is still vivid: standing in the living room with the phone to my ear, listening as my friend and pastor, Rick, described to me through sobs how one of the young, vibrant couples in our church had just been in a terrible car accident. The husband had survived. ButContinue reading “What You Cannot Forget”
Parents Are Not Teaching Their Children to Pass On the Faith
While mental health concerns top the list of worries for parents today, and studies suggest religion is good for mental health, passing on their religious beliefs to their children is not highly prioritized by US adults with children younger than 18, new data from the Pew Research Center show. Across racial and ethnic lines, overwhelmingContinue reading “Parents Are Not Teaching Their Children to Pass On the Faith”
No Prayer, Not Even Silent
Adam Smith-Connor prayed silently on a public street in Bournemouth, England, earlier this month, his back to an abortion clinic. When community safety officers asked what he was doing, he told them he was “praying for [his] son, who is deceased.” The officers expressed condolences but then said Smith-Connor, a 49-year-old physical therapist and BritishContinue reading “No Prayer, Not Even Silent”
Books Your High Schooler Needs to Read
When I was in high school a pastor put Don’t Waste Your Life in my hands and it changed my life. It helped reorient my worldview around a sovereign God who called me to spend my life for the things that mattered. That book was a cheap, but enormous investment in my future spiritual life.Continue reading “Books Your High Schooler Needs to Read”
The What-ness of Humanity
There was an oak tree in the front yard of my childhood home. It seemed inconceivably large, towering over our house. Its shadow swallowed every square inch of the place, along with the lawn and the driveway. In fall, the acorns dropped like snow and covered the grass like sand on the shore. I rememberContinue reading “The What-ness of Humanity”
Intentional Faith 