When my husband and I got married four years ago we discussed whether we ought to write our own wedding vows or use a more traditional format. Traditional wedding vows are pretty comprehensive – for richer and for poorer, for better and for worse, and quite a few things in between. Ultimately, we chose traditional […]
GOOD GRIEF
On dealing with tragedy and loss
My dear, sweet friend, Lorrie, passed away a few weeks ago, and that is something I am not okay with. I will never be okay with it. Not because she had more life to live here on earth, though she did, nor because there isn’t anything beyond this life, because there is, but because death […]
COLOR-CODED CULTURE
A Guideline to Grace in Parenting
Being a parent in the 21st century is an act of faith. My wife and I are raising two young boys, ages 4 and 8. As our boys grow, we become more and more aware of the enormous responsibility we have to teach them to be human persons. The task requires us to learn for […]
Listening For A Whisper
Seeking the Holy Spirit amidst the clutter of life
A few years ago my university put on a weekend-long conference titled When God Seems Silent. With a title like that, the conference promised to answer one of the questions nagging me at that time: is God talking to me even when I don’t hear him? I attended only one session of the conference because […]
More Than A Facebook Friend
How to build deeper biblical friendships
Growing up, I had a best friend named Anthony. Anthony wasn’t always my friend though. In fact, Anthony and I began our association as two high school kids who wanted to fight one another. Anthony used to make fun of me at football practice and would rally other guys to sing degrading songs about my […]
Parental Pardon
When children become adults and parents become people
One of the most shocking revelations I ever had about my parents was that they’re real people. When I entered adulthood, I realized they don’t know everything. When I took on more adult responsibilities, I realized I didn’t either. As my world shifted, the questions rained: Did this mean my parents really knew what was […]
FOREVER FORGIVENESS
Biblical guidance on loving those who've hurt you
“Forgive and forget” (Common proverb). “To err is human, to forgive, divine” (Alexander Pope). None of these clichés help the healing when someone is hurting at the hands of another. However, part of our Christian walk is changing our heart and letting go of the hurt that we feel. In this, we have the Holy […]
Allowing God To Move
Being open to the movement of the Holy Spirit while still getting things done
How do we learn to be disciplined in what we set our hearts and minds on but always be open to what God wants to do in us and through us each day? It’s so easy to put expectations on ourselves for what we should be spending our time on. However, this can sometimes make […]
Keeping The Faith
With the closing of this parenting series, comes perhaps the most crucial part. Now that you have children, what are some of the best ways to continue the faith in the family? It seems like a simple enough question. I think we as Christian parents might assume our children will accept our faith and that […]
DISCIPLINE & THE BIBLE
How should Christians discipline their children?
In a poll taken on ChristiNet.com, the largest Christian portal, 85% of those believed it was in their rights to spank their children. Most quoted the “spare the rod, spoil the child” (Proverbs 13:24) verse as support for their stance. Many of those also said that spanking is okay “as long as it is done […]