Biblical Hipster Baby Names
It’s being said that, due to quarantine, we’re bound to have a big baby boom over the next year or so. As much as we love every baby, if you’re of the mindset that we don’t really need any more Sophia’s or Aiden’s running around, allow me to assist you in choosing a truly original and Biblical moniker for your baby-to-be. These names not only carry the weight of two stone tablets, but I can guarantee that your little disciple in the making will be the only Mordecai gathered around the Fisher Price train set. Azariah means “Yaweh” - [...]
The Christian Life Should Be Full of Copying, Full of Imitation
When you hear the word “copy,” it probably doesn’t illicit happy thoughts, but rather makes you think of cheap knock offs and unoriginality. In fact, here are some famous imitations that we have all probably noticed: ANY soda that tries to copy Dr. Pepper’s taste or likeness (come on, he has his PhD in being the best tasting soda, stop trying to copy him). “Ice, Ice, Baby“ shamelessly ripped the bassline from Queen and David Bowie’s masterpiece. It’s cool, Vanilla Ice paid for it monetarily and in public shame. Parks and Rec looks eerily similar to The Office with [...]
Snapshot of Life
A few years ago, I went through all the printed photos that I had stored in various boxes around the house. As I was trying to organize theses photos according to age and place where the pictures were taken, my kids started going through the piles. They enjoyed laughing at how we looked, what we were wearing, and what we were doing. I was returning photos to the place in the books where they had taken pictures to school or needed for projects. As I began to sort, I came across photos of my family my children had never [...]
Quit Trying to Change Into a Christian
As the new realities of our world begin to dawn on us, change seems more difficult than ever before. But of all people, Christians should be leading the world in change. The Apostle Paul knew this would be difficult for us. He wrote in Romans 12:2, “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” For Paul it was not enough to say that you knew Christ. The Christian life was to be marked by transformation, by change. But sometimes it seems that Christians are the most opposed to change. Yet all living things change or they die. God’s goal for [...]
The Prayer of a Righteous Person
I have recently just completed teaching an online study of the book of James, and as you can imagine we came across several areas of discussion that are just as valid today as they were when James wrote the letter almost two thousand years ago. Though he was writing to a mainly Jewish audience that had been dispersed through the region of Palestine and beyond, we can take what he wrote and apply it to our lives today. I could do an entire blog series on what I learned from James as I taught it, and I may, but [...]
I Command You to Love
2020 has been quite the year and we are only half-way through it. We are certainly in chaotic times right now. For believers, the turmoil that surrounds us should lead us to more fully understand that we live in a fallen world. Sin has corrupted every single thing in this world. We can see that in full display right now through diseases, murder, hatred, violence, and fighting. However, in the midst of the chaos while tensions run high, Christians are called to love. As we seek to display the love of our Heavenly Father in this broken world, it’s [...]
Caring for the Quarantined Caregiver
Understandably, the Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down for everyone. However, it has taken a particularly hard toll on special needs caregivers. Many who have relied on outside help for so long, have now transitioned into the role of primary caregiver. Help from schools, therapists, doctors and home health aren’t as available as they once were, leaving parents to fill all of those needs. I know first-hand that this task is something that special needs parents willingly accept, but nonetheless it has proven to be challenging. When flying, parents are instructed to place the oxygen masks on [...]
His Name Is…
His name is Ahmaud Arbery. I left work early the other day. I got home, laced up my tennis shoes, and went out for a quick 3-mile run. When I returned, I went straight to preparing dinner. Ahmaud Arbery put on his tennis shoes and left for a run. He never returned home. I am a white male. I have never had to worry about going outside to workout. I have never been overly concerned when getting pulled over for speeding or having a headlight out. The fact that there are people out there who are not provided with [...]
Embracing Those Moments Given from God
How are you doing on your New Year’s Resolutions? Are you challenging yourself to live according to the goals you set? Months ago, I was challenged by a friend to pick a word for 2020. I've seen many of you have, as well. After reading through 1000 alphabetically listed words, I finally landed on the word Embrace. According to Vines, the Biblical definition means to clasp or take one in the arms. Wow! What a picture! Think about being wrapped in your dad’s arms. Can you remember a time of him holding you and caring for your needs, emotions, [...]
Smell the Flowers
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” - Saint Frances de Sales For many of us, our life of going has been drastically slowed, if not stopped. But, it is probably hard to feel like things have slowed down. We wake up, turn on the news or open social media and we are immediately bombarded with the craziness of the times. We are reminded of a harsh reality that can get our anxieties up before our feet [...]