Dangerous implications of wrong expectations

In sixth grade my parents got me a biology kit. My 12-year-old friends all got chemistry kits, but I think my parents were afraid I might blow up the house so I received a biology kit–complete with shrimp-like creatures, fruit flies, and a frog to dissect. Perhaps you remember dissection from your high school biology class. You cut, you observe, you make notes, and … Read More

What are you to do when there’s not enough

Not enough. Ever feel that way? You don’t have enough time to get your work done. You don’t have enough money to pay the bills. You don’t have enough skill to get the promotion. You don’t have enough patience to raise your kids without losing your temper. You don’t have enough strength to get through the day. There’s just not … Read More

3 diagnostic questions when you feel underappreciated

The Christian life is about serving others. Jesus both exemplified that and encouraged it. But sometimes it’s hard to serve others. We can feel like they’re taking us for granted. Or that we care more about them than they care about us. It’s easy to feel discouraged in that kind of scenario and give up on the effort to put … Read More

How to develop gentleness with the not-so-gentle

Search the phrase gentle as, and Google will finish the job with words like lamb and dove.  We don’t typically associate that phrase with lions and tigers and bears. It’s easy to mistake the word gentleness with the word weakness.  But the ancient Greeks had a different rendering. For them, the word meant “strength under control.”  Aristotle thought of it … Read More

The benefits of practicing kindness

Acts of kindness are not only good for the other person, we’re learning that they are also good for you.  In Raising Happiness: In Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents Christine Carter writes, “People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease.” … Read More

Why do I lose my motivation in living for Christ? These five words tell it all.

The world that you and I pass through daily is fraught with spiritual challenges. In our mundane day-to-day existence, it’s easy to forget that. A friend of mine shared recently that there are five D’s that Satan uses to attack us. The five words are: doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat and delay.  Here they are with brief definitions, and  a few … Read More

Did Jesus ever take any down time?

Often in the Gospels we read of Jesus working on the Sabbath. He healed, taught and discipled others with surprising regularity on the day that the religious leaders had set up with their no-work-regulations. When you read the pace of his ministry in the Gospels (Mark uses the word “immediately” 42 times), it’s easy to think Jesus never had a … Read More

How the Average Man can Minister to Others

When Jesus was asked a question about what real love looked like, he answered with the story of the Good Samaritan. There was a man who was beaten, robbed and left to die. A priest and a Levite – two religious men – saw his condition but ignored him. Apparently, they had other things to do. But help came from … Read More

5 ways to get more from your Bible reading

Imagine that your physical health was failing. Your energy level was way down, and you were susceptible to nearly every sickness. You visit the family doctor, and he begins his exam with some questions. “Are you sleeping well?” “Yes,” you reply, “I’m sleeping nearly all the time.” The doctor ponders your answer and asks the next question. “How is your … Read More

How Christmas Makes Living Like Jesus Possible

Mary fought back the fear rising in her chest. She could feel the muscles in her back tightening uncontrollably. Frightened, she tried to recite the verses she had learned as a child. The contraction subsided, and she rested. There was cause for the fear she felt. Having never known a man, she was about to give birth to a son. … Read More