Ever suddenly notice a phrase or idea that everyone commonly uses, and then stop to think about whether you actually agree with it? I'm not a big fan of group-think, so I find myself doing this fairly often. The latest term I've decided to scrutinize is "unprotected sex." I work at a pregnancy help center, and avoiding unprotected sex is a mantra which our clients hear from their schools, the media and the health department all day long. Be sure to use birth control properly. That's the rule of today's religion du jur ... the religion that worships sexual Continue Reading
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How Chasing This Good Feeling Ends Up Draining You
I hate to admit this, but I found myself acting out a negative cultural value recently. Translation: I behaved in a way that is common to our society, but contrary to biblical principles. (Ever find yourself there?) It all started after work one day last week. I see that my Kindle cover has arrived, so I open the package, all happy that now I can protect my new device. But alas! The cover is too big. Frustrated, I start searching for a better cover on line, despite being really tired. It takes some time to find what I am looking for at the right price. Continue Reading
Why Acceptance Shouldn’t be Your Highest Aim
I couldn't believe it. I actually had a shot at getting into Lori's club! My next-door neighbor was popular among us first-graders. On this particular day, a bunch of us were gathered on her driveway. White go-go boots clacking, Lori circled us, pondering who among us was worthy of being chosen. I held my breath. My mother would never let me wear white go-go boots. --she didn't believe in spending money on trendy clothing fads. But if I could be in the club, I could hang out with those who did get to wear them. Popularity by association -- it just Continue Reading
Why Your Faith Doesn’t Always Need to Feel Victorious
In times of trial, should believers cling to the promises of God and fight all the harder? Or should they allow their souls to rest, trusting that God is fighting for them? Yes, and yes. It seems there are two camps within Christianity when it comes to dealing with hard times. On the one hand, there's the faith response. When hardship comes, faith-oriented people say, we should hold fast to God's promises. We have an enemy, they remind us. We need to actively war against him. And we are destined to be victorious if we exercise our faith muscles in Continue Reading