A unique organization recycles mattresses otherwise destined for the landfill. But the man behind the operation not only breaks down mattresses, but builds up lives of felons and other hard-to-employ individuals. "We try to fill our men with hope. We want to give them a chance to reformat their families, bodies, and responsibilities" Read more
I think it’s called “commiserating” I was in the stands along with other long-suffering parents. We were all there for a T-Ball game with kids just a little young for Little League. It’s a chance for them to get out, run around, and get dirty. But for the parents, you know the drill. It’s kind of like baseball with four bases and nine players on a team. But that’s where the similarity ends. The ball is a whiffle, and it’s... Read more
Civil war is coming if we don’t act to stop it. We can change course and write our own history or stumble ahead and repeat it. Read more
This isolation has led to untold problems. We have built fences around our castles, avoiding any neighborly contact with the push of a garage door opener. We enter these castles eating quick heat dinners and hovering over computer screens without connection to our fellow man. Read more
A few years ago, I published Amy Young’s thoughts from the Messy Middle. At the time, she was writing from Beijing, China, where she was a teacher. She’s stateside now, but I’ve always appreciated her voice and insightful writing. I was very impressed with her address to her school’s graduating seniors. She gave great wisdom when she warned them about “The voices” they will hear for the rest of their lives. Reading her words, I realize I hear the same voices... Read more
Every once in a while, someone hands me a shovel and says, “Dig.” While the past is important, unearthing it serves little in the current demands of life. I’m God’s child who is living for this day, determined to make a difference for eternity in my life and others Read more
Christian, you will be chastised, ostracized, removed. You’ll be an outsider, a nobody, a misfit, a lackey. You’ll be mocked. You’ll be pigeon-holed and misunderstood. This is the way of the cross. There is no other way. The Kingdom of God transcends any party, any platform, any body politic. This world is not my home. Read more
The label of hate is used against us to silence Christians, to cause us to shrink back, to shame us. To effectively respond to that, we must disallow the charge to have that effect. Rather than silence us, we should respond with courage. Rather than shrink back, we should stand our ground. Rather than be shamed, we should recognize that truth always has its enemies. Read more
Philosopher, theologian, writer, and speaker Bill Watkins has 8 books, 30 study guides, and more than 150 articles, essays, and other kinds of writing to his credit. One of his early books The New Absolutes, explains how ten beliefs once held to be true would be replaced by ten new beliefs. The book, published 25 years ago, is almost prophetic. His thinking about the Christian’s place in culture is both frightening and hopeful. Frightening in that the tsunami of secular... Read more
I could pick out a dozen things to focus on for improvement at home, work, or church. If you look, it's pretty easy to find incompetence at every level. There is greed, sin, and misplaced priorities everywhere. With folded arms, I could be that guy. Read more
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