Chains: An Alternative Look at the Passion of the Christ

Chains: An Alternative Look at the Passion of the Christ

by

There was one, dark witness at the cross the Bible doesn’t talk about.  [In celebration of Passover and Easter, I present an alternative look at Jesus’ last few hours.] The crowd was chanting and screaming, clawing at the early morning air. Their sandaled...
Building Personal and Spiritual Growth

Building Personal and Spiritual Growth

by

I hated Algebra in high school. Geometry, however, made sense to me. I really liked ‘if-then’ statements like this:  If a = b, and b = c, then a = c. It works great when you have to find the angle of a parallelogram. But often we adapt...
Why We Lie

Why We Lie

by

Lying to others is deplorable. It erodes trust, the glue in any relationship. You don’t have to look to the political arena to see it either. Look at your workplace, in your home, and even in your own heart. But lying to ourselves (and to God) is worse than lying to...
Change Bad Habits with the Power of Replacement

Change Bad Habits with the Power of Replacement

by

Replacement is my new watchword. It’s my key to changing anything I don’t like about my life. This may seem simplistic and even intuitive but let’s see how well we measure up with this little quiz. The Vacuum of Habit If you answered true to any of these questions,...
Overcoming the Need to “Medicate” Emotional Pain

Overcoming the Need to “Medicate” Emotional Pain

by

It is human nature to flinch and flee from physical and emotional pain. And the torment from abandonment, rejection, verbal abuse, and shame can linger long after physical trauma has healed. But because those wounds are on the inside where no one can see them and...
The “Mundane” Things in Marriage Make or Break It

The “Mundane” Things in Marriage Make or Break It

by

I could spit on every romance novel I read as a teenager. They deluded me into thinking that marriage was one, long romantic adventure. What a crock. I’m not down on marriage. I endured four difficult years of separation because I believe so profoundly in marriage....
3 Signs of a Tender Conscience

3 Signs of a Tender Conscience

by

Last week, my husband got into a bit of a funk. As we lay in bed after another exhausting day of parenting, work, household chores, and church activities, he opened up about feeling like he wasn’t doing his best to help our special needs son, to support our family, and in serving others in the community. We can all feel like we are not living up to God’s expectations. We question our…