Zombies vs the Living

A few weeks ago, a guest speaker at our church spoke about the difference between being “just a Christian” and being a follower of Christ. The way he explained the historical significance of the term “Christian” was very insightful. You could feel the spiritual atmosphere of the room change as people absorbed what he was…

Loving God With a Judas Heart

Faithful. Loyal. Trustworthy. What thoughts do these words bring to mind? Did any of you think, “Yep. That’s me, alright!” When I asked the Lord what I should be writing for this week’s blog, that word “faithful” came up. I did not associate myself with that word immediately. I know my heart, and it’s not…

Wrapped and Trapped or Freed Indeed

I don’t know about you, but I’m a work in progress. Part of that progress is working out bad habits and working in good ones. Is that difficult only for me, or is it sometimes hard for you too? Oh, good, I’m not the only one! Well, let’s sit down together and have a heart-to-heart…

Hey! Christian Single! What Are You Doing With All That Freedom?

For those of you Christian singles who are from the United States of America, Belarus, Burundi, Canada, Rwanda, and Somalia, Happy Independence Day this first weekend of July! I know that many other countries celebrate a similar national holiday; in Mexico, it is September 16, and in Australia, it is January 26. Norway celebrates its…

Lessons Learned from a Lost Idol

It was a beautiful, balmy, perfect summer evening last Saturday. You know, one of those iconic summer evenings where the sky started off a hot bright blue and it all melts down into a cool, gorgeous sunset. I’d had a wonderful evening dining at one of my all-time favorite restaurants with two great friends. I…

If You Didn’t Have a Great Father

(I apologize for this very late post. I’d lost my phone for two days and was unable to log into my hosting site. Everything else still applies!) If you are a father and/or your dad is still alive, congratulations. Happy Father’s Day! If you are a single dad, raising your children, a major Shout Out…

What to Do With the Pebble in Your Shoe: Seven Principles

(Here’s the article I promised you from my blog February 21, “Speed Bumps and Potholes,” that I would write on what to do about the Big One that’s eating up your life.) Is it just me, or does it seem like, sometimes, there are long seasons of pain or suffering or chaos or harassment or…

32 Worst Reasons to Get Married Ever-er!

Here are the traditional vows which have been used for marriage ceremonies all across America for decades: “I, John, take you, Mary, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.” These are serious…

The Twisted City Amongst Us

Community. What is it? What do you think it is? What community do you most feel connected with? What community do you wish you were connected to that you are distant from right now? “The married one!” comes to mind for many Christian singles. No one lives in a complete vacuum. You may have heard…

__ __ U __ __ __ __ __ __ __ : Can’t Spell This Without You

I love to play hangman when I’m trying to introduce a new topic or idea to my clients. For instance, when I’m doing financial skill-building and want to introduce the idea of budgeting, I will make them guess another word that better describes what a budget is. That’s because that “b-word” sounds so restrictive and…