A sense of justice that transcends culture and time is hardwired into all of us. We don’t like inequity. Our blood boils when we see one person oppressing another just because they’ve got more power or prestige. When Tony and I were raising our kids, our middle daughter was acutely tuned into justice—family style. Whenever [...]
The words that resonate with our generation are inclusion, tolerance, and diversity. We don’t like the idea of excluding anyone from anything, so we have a hard time digesting (or even understanding) verses in the Bible like these: “Come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy [...]
For centuries, the classic question about causality has been Which Came First … the Chicken or the Egg? Dilemmas like these arise when we can’t discern which of two events should be considered the cause and which considered the effect. When we try to figure it out through human reasoning we often get it wrong. [...]
Have you ever opened a Christmas present and felt deflated by what was inside? If you’re an adult, you try to hide your disappointment. You murmur what you hope is a heartfelt “thank you” to the one who gave it. After all, you tell yourself, it’s the thought that counts, right? But the feeling of [...]
David and his mighty men couldn’t seem to catch a break. After being ousted from the Philistine army because some of the commanders mistrusted them, they came to Ziklag to discover the Amalekites had burned the city and taken all their wives and children captive. David and his men were so distressed, they “wept aloud [...]
“Do not be afraid, little flock,” Jesus told His followers, “For your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). I love this verse, don’t you? It reminds me of a similar verse in the Old Testament. There God tells His people, “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do [...]
How predictable is your faith walk? Here’s why I ask. A well-known adage goes like this: High predictability = Low Impact; Low predictability = High impact. I think most of us would agree with this; generally speaking, we remember best events that came as a complete surprise or appeared in some new way. This is [...]
Sometimes I get overwhelmed by it all. Advertising is everywhere—We listen to advertisements as we pump our gas, watch YouTube videos (unless we’ve paid for Premium), or wait for a movie to start. It’s a dim memory, but I remember going to movies when all I had to sit through were previews of upcoming shows [...]
Vacation season has begun. Many will be heading out to various destinations—cell phones and sunscreen in hand—excited to see and experience new things. Some of us will travel great distances and enter a totally different culture for a few days or weeks; others will take their vacations closer to home. Whether we revisit familiar places [...]
Every story worth telling begins with an “inciting incident” … something that upsets the balance in a person’s life and drives them forward in an unpredictable and sometimes scary direction. As they react to the incident—trying to restore balance and regain control—their lives are forever altered. Their decisions and subsequent actions either help or hinder [...]
Adventuring with God 