It occupied her thoughts from morning until night. She wanted it so bad she could taste it. She wanted financial independence. This young mother of small children began working hard at building a business. She juggled the demands of family life. She sacrificed sleep. She spent every spare moment on her dream. Two years later, it became a reality. Her business was not only up and running –it was wildly successful. This woman had followed the advice of a well-known entrepreneurial blogger. Regarding her success, he remarked, “I love that kind of hustle.” That kind of story Continue Reading
6 Ways You Could Accidentally Curse Your Children (and How to Avoid That)
Walking down a grocery store aisle, I passed a woman who was so angry with her little boy that she unleashed a stream of raging profanities at him, inches from his face. He was maybe three years old. Twenty years later, I still wonder if I should have said something to that frustrated mother. Hopefully, those of us who love and follow Jesus aren’t generally given to screaming vulgarities at our children. However, just because we don’t use four-letter words at ear-piercing volume doesn’t mean we never curse our kids. Christians can utter curses without realizing it –curses as Continue Reading
Why Should You be a Blameless Believer?
The bride-to-be was clearly excited about her upcoming wedding day. “Only two more weeks,” she announced on social media, “and the curtain comes down!” This young woman thought of herself as a Christian. Although she already shared a home with her fiancée, they had agreed to wait until their wedding night before they became sexually intimate. Thus the announcement of the curtain coming down. This was not the first time I’d seen such an announcement. As always, I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, at least this young couple appeared to be making an effort to obey Continue Reading
The Best Parent Ever (and Why You Should Copy Him)
As usual, when I dropped off my ten-month-old at the church nursery, he cried. After a while, he settled down and busied himself with toys. Then when I returned later, he completely fell apart. This scenario played itself out multiple times when my children were young. Small children manifest their need for attachment with reactions like crying, anxiety, eventual adjustment, and then coming unglued when their parents return. Ever find yourself responding to God this way? I have. When Scott and I were young parents, we were stretched financially to the point where I couldn’t Continue Reading