A few weeks ago I shared (read the post here) that I am reading through The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. It’s been quite a journey these past few weeks as I’ve encountered truths about sin, holiness and the struggle we each face inside. I’d like to share with you one of the lessons I’ve learned just this week.

In chapter five of the book, Bridges discusses the power that sin has over us. He talks about the “dominion of sin” and reminds readers that once we are saved, sin’s hold us on is broken. Now, I’ve heard this said over the years and while I believe it to be true, I have always wondered what, then, is wrong with me? Why do I still struggle with sin? In fact, I’ve often thought to myself, “I must not be a very good Christian if I’m still struggling with such-and such. I’m sure so-and-so doesn’t struggle like I do.”

Over and over I’ve barraged myself with thoughts like these until I truly believed there was something wrong with me – that somehow sin DID still have power over me. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Dr. Karia Bunting, author of Daddy’s Delight: Embracing Your Divine Design (Moody Publishers, June 2010)

I am unabashedly a daddy’s girl. It is not that my dad had a lot of time to spend with me – he didn’t.  Rather, the time he spent with me was meaningful.  Even when I had to be disciplined as a child, I knew that he still loved and accepted me.

I remember one time getting in trouble for riding my bike to MacArthur Park in spite of the fact that I had been told not to do so.  MacArthur Park was the hang-out.  It was the place where all the teenage  kids and teenage wanna-bes went and played music,  leaning coolly on their Camero Z28′s talking to girls.  It was the place I wanted to go.

I convinced my little brother, Vadrick, to come with me.  Five years younger than me, he did almost anything I said. So we got on our bikes, and off we sailed.

Of course, I wasn’t going to stay.  I just wanted to ride through and be seen.  I wanted someone to say, “I saw Karia riding through MacArthur Park on Sunday.  Did you see her?”

I wanted a brief brush with cool.

We sped down the street together, stirring up the leaves from the tree-lined sidewalks.   As we approached, I pumped my pedals harder, working up my speed so I could cruise effortlessly around the bend where I would make my grand entrance.  The wind whipped my blue blazer as I floated through the sunny September afternoon.  When I rounded the corner, I could hear the booming bass of the popular Marvin Gaye song resonating through the kid-packed park, “Let’s get it on…oooh, baby.  Let’s get it on.” Read the rest of this entry »

by Marybeth Elliott

Job 21:11: They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

Parenthood is a funny thing.  It is chock full of purpose and meaning, and we are plunged into it from day one.  And yet, God allows the richness and fullness to be revealed over time, much like our relationship with Him.  The longer I walk with the Lord, the deeper the love I find with Him.  The deeper the love goes, the more I realize how little I know of our magnificent Creator.  In my quest to know Him better, I see reflected back, my children’s quest to know their parents better.

Through the years as my own mother has aged, I have found it fascinating to hear stories of her in various situations.  Old college friends have shared with me special memories of their friendship with my mom, antics they participated in, special and fun times.  Conversely, they have shared fascinating and intense stories of coming of age and being married during World War II.

I’ve learned my mom is multi-faceted, much like a beautiful gem.  She was a brilliant and carefree girl, a young woman who was on her college archery team, and an accomplished horsewoman. Read the rest of this entry »

by Laurie Neumann

Having integrity in business doesn’t seem to be as important as it used to.  Today, there are many people afraid to do business with others because they don’t know who they can trust.

Maybe it has to do with the growth of the internet or a society that has gotten away from Christian principles.  Whatever the reason, having integrity in the way you conduct your business will set you apart.   It will help others see they can trust you and will bring them back to you over and over again.

What is integrity? Integrity brings to mind the concepts of honesty, reliability, dependability, following through on commitments and displaying high character at all times.  The Bible references integrity in the following verses.  ”He who walks with integrity walks securely…” Proverbs 10:9; “The integrity of the upright will guide them…” Proverbs 11:3; “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity… Psalm 26: 11 Read the rest of this entry »

by Karen Whiting

My mother didn’t smile on my wedding day. She spent the day overwhelmed with sadness although she loved me and loved my fiancé. He was everything she wanted in a husband for me. The wedding stayed within budget and everything went off fairly smoothly. My extended family all attended, everyone got alone, and tried to cheer her up. Yet, my wedding photos will always show her sad expression.

The day before the wedding my mentally handicapped brother had lost his little job of waiting on tables at a school cafeteria. Although social workers could easily place him in a new position, mom remained discontented and focused on that problem the entire day. She made the mistake of magnifying one problem, so that it robbed her of joy on such a happy occasion.

Many people let one problem override all the blessings in their lives. It steals their contentment. They forget to trust their anxieties to God and rejoice in the blessings he has given them. Read the rest of this entry »

by Alyssa Dees Avant

A small notebook with white lined pages may not seem like anything significant to the average person, but to me it held the opportunity to communicate with God and to have Him help me to shape my future. I started a prayer journal when I was fourteen. After experiencing my first season of teen rebellion, I had repented and needed to stay connected to God more closely.

I had been taught, even as a young teen that the closer you are to God, the easier it was to resist temptation. That did not mean that temptation was not going to come, or that I wouldn’t experience it, but I knew that with God by my side, I could do so more easily.

To get closer to God I had to spend time with Him. As a teen, it was often hard to focus and really listen to Him. I needed something to help me do that. Maybe you do too. That is why I believe that you need a prayer journal. A prayer journal can help you in a number of ways. Read the rest of this entry »

by Melissa McCreery PhD,ACC

Are you looking for more ease in your life? Do you wish things flowed better? I don’t have a magic solution for you, but I do know a simple tool that, when leveraged, makes life smoother and more pleasant—and it’s free and at your fingertips. How about serving up a bit more gratitude?

We all know that gratitude is a good thing. By gratitude, I’m talking about that deep peaceful sense of appreciation and thankfulness we feel for certain realities and people in our lives. Liberally and authentically applied, gratitude has the ability to work wonders. We don’t just give thanks and gratitude. Our ability to connect with our sense of gratitude has the power to profoundly affect who and how we are in the world.

Here are three ways that gratitude can make your life flow better:

Create more happiness: Taking time out to identify and name the things and people that we are grateful for on a regular basis increases our feelings of well-being and contentment. The simple act of noting three things we are thankful for on a daily basis has been shown to increase feelings of happiness, decrease feelings of depression, and be such a positive experience that subjects in one study continued doing it long after the study was over. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jill Hart

“Mom”

“What?” (Said with my eyes on the computer or chore I happen to be doing)

“Mom”

“What?” (Said while my attention is still on said chore)

“Mom”

“WHAT!?!” (Said with full attention….and frustration)

Sadly, that’s been the typical conversation around my house lately. One (or both) of my kids trying to get my attention and me trying to complete a task and listen to them at the same time. I know that I can’t give them my full attention 24/7, but it struck me the other day that if, at times, I looked at them, gave them my full attention for a moment when they were trying to speak to me – maybe these interactions wouldn’t end with me in my frustrated tell-me-quick-and-get-it-over-with mode. Read the rest of this entry »

by Muriel Larson

My husband was gone–and now I would have to determine how I would support myself and my five-year-old younger daughter.  I was offered a full-time job in the downtown office where I had done some part-time work. “Oh, Lord,” I prayed, “what should I do?  I hate the thought of putting Lori in the care of others all summer and after school. She’s such a sensitive child!”

“Well,” came the still small voice, “why don’t you step out on faith and become a full-time writer for me?” Writing on a part-time basis, I had had a number of articles and three books published.  But I certainly hadn’t earned nearly as much as it would cost us to live!  What should I do?  Was this my Lord calling me?

UNIQUE SIGN FROM GOD

I remembered then the unique circumstances He had ordered to lead me ten years before into writing for Him.  My husband was moving from our church in Wisconsin in order to become the pastor of an Illinois church.  The president of the bank for which I worked part-time asked me to continue working there for two more weeks, even though we were moving that weekend.  “We’ll provide a place for you to stay and pay for all your meals,” he said.
Read the rest of this entry »

by  Courtney Chowning

Are you a Christian blogger that is blogging the Bible? You may be asking what exactly does “blogging the Bible” mean, so let me explain. As Christians we are instructed to show the love of Jesus to others in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” and to teach others about Christ as noted in Matt 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Blogging is a great way to show people Christ’s love. You don’t even have to blog about your faith or post biblical devotions to do so either.

It is estimated that 346,000,000 (source*) people read blogs. Of course a number of blog readers are Christians. I imagine a large portion of those blog readers are not Christians and have never even heard about the love of Jesus. That is a lot of people we can be witnessing to. You never know who may be reading your blog so it is imperative that you write about your faith and the Bible in a way that even non-Christians will be able to understand and see the love you have for Christ.

Of course incorporating Bible verses in your blog is a great and easy way to show the love of Christ. After all the Word is God according to John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” You could even add a Verse of the Day widget your sidebar. But what if you don’t have a blog in which you can easily add scripture into where the topic is not faith related? Read the rest of this entry »