I know a lot of service members and veterans. I am the wife of an active duty veteran who is now in the reserves. I used to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs. I’ve conducted research with service members and veterans. I’ve talked with countless current and former military members through the years. Yep, I know a lot of service members and veterans. And I don’t know a single one who wants to be recognized on Memorial Day. You... Read more
In high school, I loved going on trips with my church youth group. On one particular trip, we had a blast making music videos. My assigned group selected a song with the following lyrics: Where do I go when I need a shelter? Where do I go when I need a friend? Where do I go when I need some helping? Where do I go? Back on my knees again! I’ve looked and looked, and cannot locate the artist or... Read more
This is my first official Mother’s Day as a mom. It’s been four years since I announced my “last” childless Mother’s Day. I was wrong about that year being my last – it took 3 years and 9 months to adopt. Last year, we knew the baby girl that would become our daughter. She even spent Mother’s day with me. But this year is different. This year, I am her mama. Forever and ever amen. (Adoption finalization – November, 2017) As... Read more
The controversy continues within the Southern Baptist Convention surrounding Dr. Paige Patterson. I blogged about this last week. As I read various opinion pieces on the latest SBC drama, I got to thinking about one specific criticism Patterson faces: Over the fact that he would never recommend divorce. I have made myself clear that no amount of physical abuse should be tolerated. Neither should emotional abuse, sexual abuse, adultery, addiction, or any number of behaviors that are against God and... Read more
Last month, Backpage was shut down. Similar to Craig’s List, the classifieds website was accused of allowing posts related to prostitution and sex trafficking. Believe it not, some people are complaining about the FBI seizure of this website. This is despite the numerous cases of women being seriously injured or murdered after connecting with someone through Backpage. And then there’s the whole issue of sex trafficking. Sex trafficking, along with other forms of human trafficking, make up the third largest criminal activity... Read more
Evangelist David Ring has a powerful testimony. Despite cerebral palsy and a serious speech impediment, he has been a traveling preacher for decades and has spoken at thousands of churches. I had the privilege of hearing Mr. Ring, and well into his talk, he explained that he uses a wet washcloth to moisten his mouth since he cannot drink a glass of water on stage without assistance. He stated his shakiness might result in him dropping the cup, but he... Read more
Like many people, there have been numerous times in my life when I have felt lonely. Two scenarios instantly come to mind: when I left for college and when my husband and I spent over half a year away from home. I still have the photo my parents took right before we headed out of town for them to drop me off at college. I was wearing a yellow tank top, and standing next to my mama’s station wagon (the... Read more
Someone I know announced an affair via social media. I don’t know this individual well, and I certainly don’t know details about the marriage. Here’s what I do know: Adultery hurts people. We all know that people often fake it on Facebook. What appeared to be a solid marriage may have been rocky for a long time – maybe since the start. But no matter what the situation is, my response must be: No, I will not celebrate your affair... Read more
American Christians have lost our boldness. Perhaps we were never bold to begin with. Look around at the number of Christians being intimated and silenced by society. Instead of being bold for Christ, we allow ourselves to be bullied by culture. By all means, there are some that are vocal. Some that we should look up to as role models of the faith in face of trials and tribulation. But often the loudest voices are those who want the spotlight... Read more
When I was a teenager, I disliked the term “evangelical.” It didn’t make sense to me – after all, Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples. And while He was only talking to 11 men at the moment, the Great Commission applies to all Christ followers. I equated evangelical with evangelism, and since all Believers are called to be witnesses for Jesus (see Acts 1:8), there was no reason to differentiate between evangelical and non-evangelical. I believed all... Read more
Dr. Laurel Shaler
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