We all do it. We can’t help ourselves. We must create. Whether we did it as homework in high school, or we do it because it’s our passion; we’re all creative beings and we must be creative. Unfortunately, many people don’t think of themselves as creative at all. When was the last time you sat down […]
ARE CHRISTIANS JUST NICE PEOPLE OR NEW PEOPLE?
Allowing God to make the most of us inside and out
I’m a huge fan of makeovers. I could spend hours watching rooms, houses, and people being rehabbed, dressed up, spruced up, or slimmed down. My dream cable TV station would be The Makeover Channel, featuring all makeovers all the time. I’d binge watch past episodes of What Not to Wear, The Biggest Loser, and Extreme […]
14 INEXPENSIVE DATE IDEAS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Fun Excursions both Economical and Ecological
You can do something more meaningful that giving chocolates on your Valentine’s Day this year. What are some inexpensive ways to have fun and enjoy this season, and at the same time respect and help our environment, God’s creation? Even with these challenges you don’t have to be dateless or bored. It is possible to […]
MAKING ROOM AT THE INN
The Spirit of Las Posadas
Christmas is our day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. But in the shuffle of the holiday season, the original intent of the holiday can also get swept up in holiday busy work, no matter how well-intended we are. But we can take out a page from the cultural traditions of Mexico to reflect upon this Christmas. […]
JUSTICE OR COMPASSION?
The consequences of gossip as seen through the film Doubt.
A woman was gossiping with her friend about a man whom they hardly knew – I know none of you have ever done this. That night, she had a dream: a great hand appeared over her and pointed down on her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she […]
Elevating Easter
Celebrating Christ’s Journey to the Cross and the Victorious Resurrection
Holy Week, a central point of remembrance during the Christian calendar, focuses upon the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is no surprise. Had Jesus not risen from the dead, our faith would be useless, and we would still be guilty of our sins (1 Cor. 15:17). Holy Week helps us reflect upon the last […]
HONORING GOD ON ALL HALLOWS EVE
How you can celebrate Halloween in a way that honors God and not evil
Besides Christmas and Easter, Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year. Halloween began as a Celtic festival called Samhain. There were massive bonfires and lots of dancing to celebrate the end of the harvest season. It also began the “time of darkness” which we would consider now as the winter season. […]
Thanksgiving Starts Now
Practicing Gratitude All Year Long
I’m just going to say it: Thanksgiving doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves. It doesn’t have the flashy colors and bling of Christmas. It doesn’t have the sex appeal of Valentines Day or the explosive “In your face, America!” attitude of Independence Day. Nope. Thanksgiving is a humble holiday, dressed in neutral tones and […]
CLOTHED IN CULTURE OR CHARACTER?
The meaning of modern day modesty
An old-fashioned word for a seemingly old-fashioned virtue, the word “modesty” doesn’t have much caché in American culture. Even in religious or Christian circles, the term sometimes smacks of school marms and Puritans, rigid dress codes and killjoys. In the most extreme cases, it conjures up images of Taliban-like sexism and the overzealous (and often […]
THE GOSPEL GRAFFITI CREW
Depicting the Gospel message in the form of legal graffiti art
Visual art has the ability to uniquely impact its viewer through the interplay between image, color, and purpose. Through this careful interplay, we can experience messages with various senses, and therefore be more holistically impacted by them. The Gospel Graffiti Crew has identified the world’s need to know and understand the Gospel message and has […]