breaking tradition
I didn’t realize how much my family’s Christmas traditions were ingrained in me until it came time for my husband and me to form our own. While we may have strong opinions about when to begin decorating or the best way to open presents, the real issue is deeper. In the ever-changing flow of life, traditions bring a sense of stability. Even though no amount of Christmas baking, tree-decorating, or family get-togethers can guarantee us permanence, we still hold them dear.
“By the Grace of God I Am What I Am”
By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain . . . —1 Corinthians 15:10
The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely …
Attending To Our Words
A week after C. S. Lewis died in 1963, colleagues and friends gathered in the chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford, England, to pay tribute to the man whose writings had fanned the flames of faith and imagination in children and scholars alike.
extravagant mercy
When we wrong someone, it’s normal for us to feel distance and shame. We might imagine that the offended person is stewing over our poor behavior, replaying our thoughtless conduct, or writing us off. We may even think there will be a complete disinterest in us until we return and effusively atone for our actions.
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
By Alan Humphrey, UK What do we want? When do we want it? NOW!!! It’s been the cry of many a protest down through the years. When there is a strong desire for change, it is usually accompanied by an equally strong desire for immediate action. Increasingly however, this is becoming the cry of our […]
Practicing Jesus’ principle to “take the log out of our eye before we take the splinter out of another’s”!
It’s easy to point out the problems in someone else’s life, and turn a blind eye to the problems in our own.
When life gets you down, find a lifeline in Jesus–Mary Ann’s Story
When a difficult situation threatens to drag us down, we can either let ourselves fall or surrender to the only One who can lift us up. Learn how Mary Ann found a lifeline in God’s Word, when it felt like her world was falling apart. Find out more of what the Bible says about “Beyond...
filthy garments
Can God use someone like me—a person with a bad past? This question was burning in the hearts of the returnees. The Israelites had come back from captivity—a result of their gross, persistent, and unrepentant sins. The Promised Land laid in ruin, the temple destroyed. They realized, We’ve messed up big time. Can the holy God use us to reestablish the proper way to worship Him?
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
By Alan Humphrey, UK What do we want? When do we want it? NOW!!! It’s been the cry of many a protest down through the years. When there is a strong desire for change, it is usually accompanied by an equally strong desire for immediate action. Increasingly however, this is becoming the cry of our [...]
How To Enjoy Things
In his book Daring To Draw Near, Dr. John White writes that several years earlier God had made it possible for him to acquire a lovely home with many luxuries. His feelings about the house fluctuated dramatically.
Discover why condemnation, either of others or ourselves, is best left up to God
Maybe you don’t make a habit of criticizing others, but you’re quick to judge yourself!
thank-you cards
Today I read a eulogy written by a man in memory of his 6-year-old daughter who died of leukemia. “Our daughter was full of gratitude for God and others,” the father shared. “She carried a little purse—containing paper and colored pencils—with her wherever she went so she could write thank-you cards when someone gave her a gift or did something nice for her.”
10 Reasons to Believe In Christ Rather Than Religion
Religious activity has been viewed as everything from a stairway to heaven to a salve for a person’s conscience. But, what is religion—and is it enough? This pamphlet offers ten reasons to believe that religion cannot meet people’s deepest needs. Instead, we are pointed to a personal relationship with God through His Son.
Treasured Possession
By Ruth Lawrence, UK What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the word shepherd? When I was conversing with my brother on Gmail chat one day, he typed the word “shepherd” and the first word that popped up in my mind was “pie.” Actually my brother was trying to […]
Place Of Water
East Africa is one of the driest places on earth, which is what makes “Nairobi” such a significant name for a city in that region. The name comes from a Masai phrase meaning “cold water,” and it literally means “the place of water.”
