Review: RescuYOUed Study

Have you ever had to be rescued—literally and physically? I have. It was no fun at all. Years ago, I went to the Indian Canyons near Palm Springs, CA, with a friend. We’d planned to spend the day there hiking and playing in its streams and lakes. We clambered up sloping rock walls to jump…

Plastic Fruit Don’t Taste Good

When I was a little kid, one time I pulled some little red grapes off these little stems and tried to eat them. Problem was, they were plastic. I was surprised to find that I could chew and suck on these plastic grapes and they wouldn’t chew up. I spit them out and stuck those…

The Best Wrap You’ll Ever Have

“A hamburger without the bun? They call it a wrap?” A hamburger wrapped in lettuce instead of the traditional bun was a new thing years ago at one of my favorite old hangouts, In-and-Out Burger. They called it Protein Style. Incredible. I was a bit skeptical. I wasn’t convinced that healthy lettuce leaves could replace…

Know What’s Better Than Loving Yourself?

I know I’m going to get in trouble with someone somewhere about this. Oh well; here goes. There is a lot of talk within the body of Christ telling us we need to love ourselves more. This is based on something Jesus said: And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with…

Your Dream Might Have Been From God

As a kid, did you ever see a photo of some impressive place and think, “Wow! I can’t believe that’s real! I want to see this with my own eyes someday”? New York was a city that I’d always wanted to visit, but I never made plans to go because I didn’t want to go…

A Glimpse of Heaven

My Beloved Child, Before you hear Me say anything else to you, please hear this: I love you more than you could ever know. I died to free you from the penalty of sin, and that was all that mattered when Jesus came to earth that first time. I see you moping around because it’s…

Fixing Your Love-Picker

Sonya (not her real name) slouched in her seat. She glanced down, ashamed to look me in the eye as she told me she’d gone back to her old “boyfriend” again. He was self-centered and more interested in using her and her car than in caring for her. “You know you have to fix your…

Practicing Accountability is Marriage Prep, Part 2 of 2

Last week, I talked about how our contemporary Western culture inclines us singles to a severe level of independence and lack of accountability. Not being accountable to anyone can cause problems in relationships. When you don’t answer to anyone, you can keep secrets and harbor addictions that will hurt relationships. Then, after the wedding, big,…

Practicing Accountability is Marriage Prep, Part 1 of 2

We’re pretty independent in the Western world. I consider myself very independent, sometimes refusing help from someone who offers to carry something for me when they see me hobbling. First-time visitors from eastern cultures are often amazed and shocked at the levels of self-sufficiency which we display. They don’t always think it’s good. Independence is…

Single Christian, Give Yourself Some Grace!

Can you believe it’s only been a couple of weeks since January 1? Me, either! According to a recent article by Scripps National, at least 75% of Americans planned to either lose weight or save more money in the coming year (https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/these-are-the-top-new-years-resolutions-for-2019). Were either of these plans on your priority list of things to accomplish…