There are times when memories seem as a curse. The pain is strong enough that you bless the minutes, the hours, the days when those memories are absent. Then there are the good memories, the ones you want never to forget. These good ones are etched in your mind. They bring joy. God made you this way, he made you to remember. Why? He made you to remember him. He commands you to remember who he is and what he has accomplished for you. It is the memory of God that keeps all of your other memories in perspective. The Lord will make right and wipe away the tears from all that is painful and destructive. His great goodness reminds […]
Monthly Archives: May 2016
22 posts
War is a bad thing. People die. Things are destroyed. To be proficient in war is to be proficient in devastation. Wars happen because humans must have what they desire, no matter what. War is a good thing. People die so that others may live and know peace. Instruments of evil are destroyed. Wars happen because people determine their lives are expendable in the struggle against evil. War is a mixed bag. It is an enthralling combination of the worst and best of humankind. But, ultimately, war is the cost of evil. Evil left unchecked would soon cover the planet in anarchy, tyranny and destruction. Proclaiming peace without the commitment to die for that proclamation is futility. It is this […]
Young children ask questions. Be thankful. As a parent, you want to keep the questions coming. No doubt someone is saying, are you crazy, all I do is answer questions! If you become exasperated with these questions, eventually they will diminish. While this may bring short-term relief, it will also result in a diminished relationship with your children as they become move towards the teenage years. To illustrate: children ask tons of questions. Parents become increasingly frustrated and annoyed with the question barrage. As children grow older they realize their questions are not appreciated, so they look else where. By the time the teenage years arrive, it is the parent’s who are asking the questions and it is the teenagers who […]
In training your children, it is important for you to understand what makes language inappropriate. If you focus only on what is wrong you will miss the mark of bringing honor to God. For example, you compile a list of words that are “bad.” In their place you have a list of words that are acceptable alternatives. For example, words like darn, shoot, heck and doggone it, are seen as acceptable alternatives to their similar sounding bad counterparts. So, when you can’t find your keys, instead of using an unacceptable word, you use the corresponding acceptable word to express your frustration. But does the substitution of words rise to the standard of doing all that you do in the name […]
You may think you know exactly who your enemy is. Your enemy is your unhappy spouse. Your enemy is your stubborn teenager. Your enemy is your ungrateful boss. Your enemy is your friend who said something you don’t like. Your enemy is the economy or the job market. Your enemy is your sickness. In short, you may think life is your enemy. You think you know who you enemy is. Christianity is about hand-to-hand combat. It is important that you identify exactly whom it is that you are fighting! You are likely to believe the enemy is the people and circumstances you encounter. When this happens your energy is spent fighting the wrong target! You need God’s wisdom to identify […]
Father, grant me the courage to love you for who you are and not for what I want you to be. Grant me the peace to honor you for what you do and not for what I want you to do. Grant me the power to live for what adds to your reputation and not to my own. Grant me the compassion to long for people to know you and not to know me. Grant me the humility to speak well of you and not of myself. Grant me the discernment build your kingdom and not my own. Grant me the wisdom to say what praises you and not what makes me look good. Grant me the vision to live […]
God is good because of who he is. He is not good because we like our circumstances. He is not good because we deserve his goodness. He is not good because we have good health. He is not good because we may live in apparent safety compared to others. He is not good because it is a beautiful day. God is good simply and profoundly because his own being and character defines goodness. God is good even when our lives are torn by despair. God is good when a storm brings destruction. God is good when those we love become sick and we see the awful plague of death. God is good in ravages of war. God is good when […]
Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp provides a crucial foundation for the principles in Shepherding a Child’s Heart, teaching parents the importance of developing and shaping their children’s thinking. This “formative instruction” is not discipline or correction; rather, it is intentionally building a biblical culture of thought and understanding in our homes. In these 13 half-hour sessions, parents will learn how to give their children a biblical framework for approaching all of life. Rent & Stream through Vimeo On Demand for $24.00 Click on the image find out more!
What is the opposite of worry? If worry is destructive, then what can be put in its place? You tend to worry about what you think is uncertain. But being certain about what will come won’t help. First, because no one can be certain about what the next minute or hour will bring. Then, secondly, if you did know what was going to happen next you would probably worry about that. We still need a replacement for worry. God says that the opposite of worry is to wait on him. If you learn anything from the Bible, it is that tomorrow is uncertain. No one knows what tomorrow will bring in terms of events and circumstances. But what you do […]
A loving friend is one who cares about you enough to say what is true. This truth may be about dangers you face and even character issues that you need to examine. But failing to be truthful may also have an aggressive, nasty, secretive component of which to be aware. God has provided a way for you to be able to recognize enemies disguised as friends. Proverbs provides the insight you need to protect yourself and your children. Proverbs 27:5-6 combines two real life examples to help you discern between friends and those who would hurt you. Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. In verse […]