Experiencing judgment from others is a universal experience. It seems like no matter where you go, someone always has an opinion about what’s best for us, even if it’s not really best. From big things to small things, we live in a world awash of opinions, thoughts, concepts, and decisions about what others should do. Judgment, in its essence, is deciding for someone else what they should or shouldn’t do in a situation. When we judge, we disapprove of someone’s... Read more
Years ago, Justin Bieber was everywhere. No matter what station I found on the radio, they were playing something by him. Usually when he came on the radio, I would start scanning the dial for anything that wasn’t Justin Bieber. It didn’t matter what the song was or what it was about, I was not going to listen to it because I was sick of hearing about, looking at, or seeing pictures of Justin Bieber in various states of undress... Read more
During a recent seminary class, my students and I explored the current trends in advocacy. Within the past few years, we quickly identified various social justice “causes” that were once front and center on everyone’s minds, but have since faded in favor of new causes. From Ukraine, to Palestine, to boycotts of Chick-fil-A, Target, Kellogg’s, and now ICE policies, many are eager to be on the “right side” of history and jump in debates. Some go as far as to... Read more
We are now approaching the end of the first month of the new year. Many who have made resolutions have long abandoned the idea of completing them. Still, the year is relatively new to us. We are still thinking about what is to come, what things we might want to achieve this year, and feeling renewed by the idea of newness. I believe that’s what most take reassurance in: the chance to start again. This time, we can do things... Read more
Several years ago, God called me to host a prayer line at midnight. We met weekly on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, right at 12 AM on the dot. It was called “Midnight Manifestation” and it was definitely a time to remember. Many of our prayers are often answered, figured out, or properly understood in the “midnight hour,” thus the connection to “midnight manifestation.” What many don’t know is it was birthed during a time when I lived in an apartment building... Read more
Humility is often a dirty word among many Christians. None of us like the idea of having to humble ourselves before anyone. This is especially true when we think of having to stand before authority figures. The idea that we humble ourselves before God often doesn’t fit with trends that, in some ways, often attempt to place us on the same level with God. As human beings, we didn’t create ourselves. We aren’t the same as God, and we all... Read more
It’s the new year, which means many of us start thinking about self-improvements. Whether it’s going back to school, starting a new career, looking for a new job, dieting, exercise, or reading more, there are endless ways people work to improve themselves. One of the reasons we try to improve ourselves is because we feel something is missing in our lives. Most people seek a sense of contentment, often through self-improvement means. But what if contentment comes not from endless diets... Read more
The other day, I was lamenting the loss of MTV’s music history. I made the comment that the 80s were awesome, and the 90s were fun…but somewhere in here, life stopped being fun. Prices started going up, making it impossible to do many things we used to do to treat ourselves any longer. More and more of our money goes to necessities, even to outrageous levels. Like many others, this year I faced an extended furlough, which added stress to... Read more
If you watch television much at all these days (which I don’t), count the vast number of reality shows about weddings. There are shows about buying wedding dresses, buying wedding dresses for women who are plus-sized, buying bridesmaids’ dresses, picking wedding venues, wedding competitions, and wedding caterers and ceremonies. We watch celebrities get married, ordinary people get married, politicians get married, royalty get married, fantasy weddings, wedding planners… To be honest, I am tired of weddings on television. I don’t... Read more
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt absolutely fine…and then one day, your feelings about the situation began to change? I’d venture most of us have. We think we’ve got everything figured out…right up until we realize we don’t. Things move along, progress is made, even if it’s not how we expect. Then, somewhere along the way…our progress stops. At first, it probably seems obvious why. Life happens, projects take precedence, or something else is in the... Read more
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