What makes a Christmas a good Christmas? Think about that for a moment. There is danger that lurks for Christians when we evaluate the quality of life with the standards of our culture. Using the world’s standards to be the measure of what is good in your life will bring dissatisfaction. This is exactly what happened …
Humility and power are seldom connected. Humility is associated with peace, passivity and keeping a low profile. A humble person is not considered a person to be feared. When your kids are out of control, humility is probably not the first thing you pray for. In our culture humility does not inspire awe. However, there …
Dear Father, it’s busy in my life. Crowds are everywhere. My heart is busy, too many gifts, not enough money, not enough time. This time is supposed to be about Jesus. But even at church, I feel more busy than thankful for his birth. There are people to see, events to attend. All of this …
If you are a parent, you can likely identify with the feeling of being burned-out. Other terms such as exhaustion, fatigue, tired, and weary are also a regular part of the parental vocabulary. What is the answer? Does being continually burned-out have to become the normal reality if you are a parent? Exhausted parents, Jesus calls out to you. Listen …
Sin is devastating. An eight-year-old tries to be kind to his older sister. She responds with, “That was stupid!” Michael is crushed. He tried so hard to be nice and got trashed in return. Michael is tempted to engage in self-pity. Thankfully, Michael’s mom observed the confrontation and took quick action. After Mom addressed the poor …
“There, I told them that was the last time! I finally got fed up and did something about their disrespect and disobedience. Maybe this will change their attitude. Yes, I was angry, but something needed to be done!” Mom might feel good for the moment, but she has actually made things worse. Human anger and …
Protecting your children is the obligation of a faithful parent. However, there is the false notion that children should be protected from every danger and uncertainty of life. That simply is not possible! There is too much uncertainty in life, too much which is beyond your control to protect. Yet, the temptation to worry about …
Another frustrating conversation! Sometimes it seems that there is no way to have positive communication with your family. Here are three questions you should ask yourself about your communication with those you love. Your answers will provide insight into the areas where your conversations must grow in depth and in maturity so that God is …
Seth came home with a heavy heart. He had just been demoted to second-string. He was no longer a starter. He would still be playing a lot, but the coaches decided to give another player the starting job. He was disappointed, but this is not why his heart was heavy. Somehow he would have to …
Lying and the pursuit of sinful desires go hand-in-hand. For example: Teenagers are unlikely to tell their parents that they want to borrow the car to go to a party with drugs, drinking, and sex. No, the story will more likely be along the lines of “… a couple of the guys want to go …
