I was a pretty dramatic seventh-grader. My faith was real to me, and I was ready to take on the world for Jesus. I read books like Tortured for Christ and God's Smuggler and pondered, What would it be like to be thrown in prison and have my Bible taken away? Thankfully, I've been free to read the Word of God pretty much every day for decades. Bible reading is a necessity for spiritual health, so I'm not trying to impress you ... just inspire you So how do we approach this important spiritual discipline? There's no "correct" way to read the Bible, but allow me to share a few Continue Reading
6 Things I Appreciate about my Female Friends
I’m sitting in a restaurant with our church youth group. Suddenly, all the girls get up and go to the restroom together. A mischievous light gleams in the boys’ eyes. Whispers ensue. When the girls return, all the guys get up and go to the restroom at the same time. It’s been years since this hilarious episode took place, but it still serves as a great example of male and female uniqueness when it comes to how we do friendship. Female friendships have particular strengths and weaknesses. Here are some qualities I appreciate about the women I consider to be my true friends: Continue Reading
What to Teach Your Children about Halloween
Yup, I’m about to go there … “To trick-or-treat, or not to trick-or-treat, that is the question…” To answer this controversial question, let’s look at holidays in general. Why do we celebrate certain occasions? American holidays like Memorial Day and Mother’s Day spring from historical events and the desire to honor people. Other holidays go back further to distant lands and cultures. Christmas, birthdays and Halloween all have roots in ancient pagan practices. Christians began subtracting certain elements and adding others as a way of redeeming those occasions. We’ve done Continue Reading
7 Other Effective Prayers for the Sick (Besides Asking for Healing)
It was a freak accident. The energetic, talented nineteen-year-old decided to try a back flip and landed wrong. The impact snapped his C2 vertebra, instantly paralyzing him from the neck down. In the aftermath of Kevin's injury, his family and many faithful friends prayed hard and often for his healing -- and they started to see some miracles. Having sustained the same injury as actor Christopher Reeves did years ago, Kevin should be on a ventilator 24 hours a day. He should not be able to move on his own. Yet Kevin is off the ventilator during his waking hours. He can manipulate Continue Reading