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Defeat the “Mean Spirit” Button
Just as the children of godly, loving parents don’t always take on the loving characteristics of their parents, God’s children can also choose to be unkind and sometimes just plain mean. And, those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior point to those unkind Christians and say, “Why should I join your team? I’m nicer than she is!” Engaging unbelieving co-workers This topic came up in a class I was teaching about intentionally engaging unbelievers in your life to show them who Christ is as they observe your own life. The hope is that you will be able to lead them to faith in Christ and help them to grow…
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Infertility Awareness Week
It is National Infertility Awareness Week. As someone with direct experience with infertility and miscarriage, supporting those struggling with involuntary childlessness is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. (You can read more of my personal journey here and here.) Below is a list of facts, stats, and resources to help educate and encourage those walking this difficult road, as well as those eager to support them well. Definition:Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child or carry a pregnancy to full term. Most in the medical world diagnose someone as infertile after the patient has been actively trying to conceive for 12 months…
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Vain Imaginations
Not long ago, I attended a retreat at which a college student, freshly discovering his call to an intercessory prayer ministry, spent hours every night praying by name for everyone on the retreat. The last morning when I ran into him, he said, “Sue! As I was praying for you, I received a word from the Lord for you.” Uh-oh. I’d heard this before. And every time I had taken it to the Lord, asking if there were anything to it, the answer was no. My defenses up, I smiled and said, “I’m listening.” He got a very thoughtful look on his face and said, “I have to get it…
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Marvel Comics v. Jordan Peterson: one of the world’s most dangerous profs podcasts his journey to faith and draws heavy fire
Imagine if C.S. Lewis had podcast his journey to faith, and millions of unbelievers had listened in. Imagine if the forces of the secular universities, progressive politics and the media had conspired to take him out before he could cross the line of faith and bring thousands with him. A similar journey by a similarly brilliant academic is taking place right now. In the last month over a million and a half people have listened to his remarkable recent podcast discussing his ideas about conscience, myth and Christ. And Marvel Comics has taken the lead to destroy him. Why Marvel Comics? Because he has a vast following among young men.…
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Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Yesterday was proof “adulting” never ends. Absentmindedly, I backed out of my driveway and hit the gas meter. My attention jerked back to the present as I heard the crunch of my fender, followed by a loud hiss of gas spewing into the neighborhood. Opening the car door, I choked on the fumes in the air. What a dope. Now the neighborhood’s going to explode! I rushed into the house, my heart pounding. Who do I call? Where’s the number for the gas company? Help me, Jesus! I texted my husband. Roamed the house. Left a voice message. No response. He was in a meeting so could offer no assistance.…
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Praying for the Muslim World During Ramadan
This week Muslims began their month of fasting during the daylight hours. Timed according to the lunar calendar, this year the month of Ramadan ends at sundown on May 11 followed by a celebration, Eid al-Fitr, when friends and family will gather and celebrate the end of Ramadan. Ramadan, an ideal time to pray for Muslims around the world, also gives you an opportunity to tell Muslims you are praying for them. Many will be surprised and pleased that you know about their practices. These resources equip you to have an impact on Muslims through prayer and help you grow in your knowledge of them: Lift up Muslims around the…
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The Unexpected Place of Peace
Peace. It seems so elusive these days, doesn’t it? Like a ray of sunshine streaming through my back window, my two-year-old reaches out his chubby fingers to grab the brilliant beam. Yet when he uncurls his fingers and peers into his small hand, it’s empty. Golden beauty gone. And the more he chases it and grabs for it, the more frustrated and confused he becomes. Isn’t that how so many of us have been living for the past year? We’ve spent our days grasping at anything that will give us peace in the midst of overwhelming chaos and confusion. And just when we think we’ve found a sunbeam, it fades…
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Cultivating Friendships & Female Allies
Listen to the nightly news, read just-released statistics, talk to a few friends––and you’ll hear over and over again the hard realities of mandated isolation, increased challenges in daily life, and mounting obstacles as working women navigate the lingering effects of this pandemic. Now more than ever we need to forge bonds of sisterhood with the women in our circles.
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Ministries: How to Prevent and Respond to Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minors
Today I’m happy to host guest blogger Suzanne Keffer Wipplinger, a student in Biblical Counseling at Dallas Theological Seminary: When considering what guidelines to follow if a minor who has attended a church or para-church ministry reports sexual abuse, it is important for churches and ministries to remember that their first priority is to focus on protecting minors before potential abuse occurs and continue to protect the abused minor, should abuse happen. The focus of church and para-church organizations must be on protecting the minor reporting the abuse before shielding the alleged abuser or the organization itself. Since sexual abuse is a crime, the person who receives the initial report should…
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What is it like to be “Unseen”?
Do you live your life wanting to be seen or unseen? Whether seated in an office maze of cubicles, standing behind a podium before a grand audience, or mopping up spilled milk and cereal for the third time today, we want to be acknowledged, understood, and liked. Our current world of social media has not helped our helpless and desperate desire to be noticed. These days if we do not post a photo of our dinner out, our vacation, our birthday, our promotion, or our child’s new accomplishment, it’s as though it never happened. Additionally, we want our online friends to see, like, or love our posts. Only if the…
