When was the last time you heard someone say that they wanted less? I'm guessing that if you live in the US, or anywhere greatly influenced by the consumerism of modern Western culture, it's been awhile. Hence the need for Jeff Shinabarger's challenging tome More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity. The founder of such efforts as Plywood People and GiftCardGiver.com, co-founder of the Q event, and creative director for Catalyst, Jeff has a history of thinking outside … [Read more...]
Do You Ever Wish You Could Just Get Over Your Bad Self?
May 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Have you ever failed to walk by faith? Have you ever fallen and felt as if you would never get back up? If not, please click off this page. There's nothing for you to see here. And you'll make the rest of us feel bad. Not long ago, I confessed that a healthy sense of self-loathing can be a good thing when we fail to overcome the Resistance in our walk of faith. [ See my post To All Those Who Just Want to Quit ] Our anger at ourselves in those times of frustrated failure … [Read more...]
Grace-based Parenting: A Review of “Connecting Church and Home”
May 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
It's about time! That's what I thought as I read the wisdom-packed pages of Tim Kimmel's latest book Connecting Church & Home. Tim Kimmel is the founder of Family Matters and long-time cheerleader for grace-based parenting. You can check out the Family Matters site here for a lot of valuable parenting resources. Connecting Church & Home is a quick, easy read that should be required for any family ministry leader. For that matter, any pastor who claims to care about … [Read more...]
What I Think Happened with Benghazi: The Vast Conspiracy
May 11, 2013 By 2 Comments
What I think happened with Benghazi is not some vast conspiracy to undermine the US by President Obama or some CIA op to sell guns to terrorists or whatever other theories are out there. I do think there was a conspiracy. But it is a conspiracy that affects us all and began in Eden so long ago. It is the natural tendency of each of us as fallen human beings to deflect, conceal, and cover when confronted with our failures. It's what Adam and Eve did. It's what I tend to do. Every person I … [Read more...]
A Psalm for Kermit Gosnell
May 10, 2013 By 2 Comments
I've steered clear of commenting on the horrific trial of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. I've known about the story for some time, but just couldn't bring myself to focus on the horrors in which he was engaged. Much has been made of the lack of media coverage. My friends here at Patheos Evangelical have done much to change that. Rightly so. For those not familiar with the case, I point you here, somewhat reluctantly, because the crimes he allegedly committed against helpless infants is … [Read more...]
Benghazi: New Revelations and Questions from the Congressional Hearing
May 8, 2013 By 39 Comments
I survived more than four hours of watching and listening to a Congressional hearing on Benghazi on C-Span3 today Talk about living by faith! I sensed the hearing could be pivotal in our getting answers to the many questions about what happened in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, when Ambassador Stephens and three other Americans were killed in a terrorist attack on our consulate. So I watched and listened. And tweeted. You can explore my live-tweeting journey here. Who … [Read more...]
See How Peer Pressure Can Increase Your Faith
May 6, 2013 By 3 Comments
Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing. Especially when it can increase your faith. That's not to say it always works the way we want it to. Often throughout my dozen years as a school administrator, I dealt with the negative side of peer pressure --w hen kids were led astray by hanging out with others who influenced them in the wrong direction. I got used to citing verse like the following: He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. … [Read more...]
To All Those Who Just Want to Quit
May 3, 2013 By 10 Comments
I returned from my mission to Guam the other day full of energy, ideas, and the faith to make them happen. Within a day, I had lost it all and just wanted to quit. Fear grabbed me by the hair, gripped me firmly in a headlock, and proceeded to pummel my confidence with repeated blows. Within hours, I was a bloody and faithless mess. Finally, when fear had finished for the day, it dumped me and left my future as good as dead and buried. It was all I could do to clutch the side of the … [Read more...]
Telling Your Story: A Faith that Embraces Uncertainty
May 2, 2013 By 5 Comments
Just back from my trip in Guam, I'm privileged to share this guest post by Jeremy Statton. He is an orthopedic surgeon and a writer. He blogs about Living Better Stories. You can follow him on Twitter or download a free copy of his eBook Grace Is. On my first trip to San Francisco I tested my faith to see if my prayers could move mountains. But instead of land, I was trying to move fog. I had always dreamed of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is one of the greatest … [Read more...]
10 Lessons from the Other Side of the World
May 1, 2013 By 3 Comments
It's bitter sweet really, that feeling you get when you come home from a long trip. On the one hand, it's good to be home in familiar surroundings and to get incredibly awesome hugs from each of our six kids. On the other hand, we had a blessed time with friends in Guam, making new ones and becoming better acquainted with others. My wife enjoyed her time on a tropical island -- and has the tan to prove it. I did too. And the food -- well, let's just say Guam knows food. So it's with … [Read more...]
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