From the holidays to the coronavirus, from families to work, stress attacks our spirits, minds, and bodies. If unchecked, stress can give way to anxiety and anxiety can begin a long slide into the dark tunnel of depression. Scripture offers a special sort of sanctuary and we can always call upon the redeeming grace of God, but certain tools and techniques can help us better function moment to moment and day to day. To cope with anxiety in stressful times,... Read more
People are leaving church. It’s no secret. Generations of Americans have no history in a church. The majority describe themselves to pollsters as being ‘spiritual’ with no religious affiliation. More than 1,500 years ago the natives of Ireland were polytheist pagans who would consider themselves ‘spiritual.’ Ireland and the other British islands were on the furthest edge of the Roman Empire, and the furthest reach of Christianity. Christian monasteries were established across Ireland under the Bishop Palladius. Palladius and the... Read more
“St. Patrick’s Breastplate” or “The Lorica” Tradition says this prayer was written by St. Patrick. I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the rock. I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s... Read more
Millions of Christians enter the Lenten season observing one of the oldest traditions in the Church calendar, the season reminds Christians to: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.” — Genesis 3:19 The Lenten season begins Ash Wednesday and is the 40 days prior to Easter, not including Sundays. It ends April 8. Ashes are a symbol of penance in many faith traditions and ashes applied to our foreheads in the shape of a cross remind... Read more
I started Faith on the Fringe in 2015 because I believe much of mainstream Christianity misunderstands Jesus and interprets him in wrong ways. Some cling to unbiblical understandings of scripture that make them feel comfortable or help to justify their bigotry. They claim to be Christians, but they obviously don’t live the message of Jesus. Hypocrites in the House of the Lord. There are more and more groups of Christians stepping up and calling out the Hypocritical Christians and turning... Read more
Abraham Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809 near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was born in a log cabin, Lincoln Logs were named after Lincoln. This may or may not have been the actual cabin owned by the Lincoln family. Probably may not. By the time anyone thought to preserve the birth home of the 16th president, the actual building… was gone. Moved, actually. Or probably dismantled and long gone after 58 years. So these are pictures of a cabin in the... Read more
Of the dozen or so people in the world who know and care that my debut novel will be published in June 2020, here is an update. (I had more than 88,000 pageviews last year. A solid dozen must be interested in my novel, right?) For those twelve of you who continue to read, welcome. Faith, Hope, and Baseball: A Novel, is in production. The manuscript has been edited, reviewed, and edited and revised, and reviewed again. Any mistakes that... Read more
In for a penny, in for a pound. Throwing good money after bad. Do you ever regret a decision and yet despite the regret, you persist in the decision? We keep reading a book, watching a movie, eating a meal, living a life where we’ve invested time and money and energy and spirit. We don’t make the difficult admission that we invested poorly and simply quit. People stay in churches, jobs, relationships, long after they should’ve made the painful choice... Read more
From the day he was born to the day he was murdered, 39 years later, Martin Luther King, Jr. was outside the mainstream. Born to a comfortably middle class family, the color of his skin made him a second class American. He refused to accept the status quo of racism and became the famous face of the original Black Lives Movement. With his visage on United States postage stamps and a federal holiday commemorating his birth, King’s radical messages have... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In