It’s what you do next that matters.
“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).
Remember VeggieTales? If you were around in the 1990s and were much into Christian pop culture, you do. Their Bible lessons on VHS tapes were ubiquitous in the homes of Christians with kids. And their lessons and songs—well, what can I say? They stick with you. Silly songs with Larry (“oh, where is my hairbrush?”). Rack, Shack, and Benny–because Bible names are too hard to pronounce. And that moment when Jonah gets tossed overboard and…
Teachers at the Billy Earl Dade Middle School in Texas were planning a “Breakfast with Dads” event for December 14, 2017. Around 150 boys, ages 11 to 13, signed up for the event. But about 90% of their students came from low income families, and Kristina Dove, the senior partner relations manager at Big Thought, a youth development nonprofit, wasn’t sure if every student would have a father present during the program. So, On Dec.…
Lots of couples get married this time of year. But will those marriages be around in another 10, 20, or even 50 years? No matter what opinion people have about marriage, when a couple demonstrates longevity and endurance, it makes the news and nearly everyone admires them for it. Especially in a culture that disdains longevity and commitment. But hardly anyone expects a marriage to last 82 years. That’s right. On March 31, D.W. Williams,…
Lori Loughlin started her career as a child actor but became famous playing moms. And not the kind that bribe college administrators. The other kind. Down to earth, honest, hardworking moms who teach life lessons to plucky teenage girls. She is probably best known for her role as Aunt Becky on the ABC sitcom Full House. Becky was a successful career woman who met and married Jesse Katsopolis, the brother of Danny Tanner’s deceased wife.…
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in February, Kelsey Grammer, the actor best known for the TV sitcom “Frasier,” was asked about the swift departure of Rosanne Barr from the reboot of her show last year. Considering a restart of his own popular show, Grammer was encouraged by the initial success of Barr’s reboot. But in May of 2018 Barr insulted Valerie Jarrett, the former Obama administration official, with a comment on Twitter that…
We can’t help ourselves. If Tim Tebow speaks, we listen. Not just Christians, but everyone. Christians love his testimony, and non-Christians hate it. But no one ignores it. And almost no one ignores him. Why? Well, because sometimes—ok, nearly all the time—he says things that make even the most cynical unbeliever perk up, be encouraged, and go out the door for another day. In mid-February he was, once again, defending himself against naysayers who sniff…
Ah. Valentine’s Day. Love is everywhere. And so is loneliness. And if you feel lonely in the season of love, ironically, you are not alone. Researchers say that one out of ten Americans say they feel isolated and alone all or most of the time. In 2017 former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called loneliness a “growing health epidemic.” And in the UK loneliness is so prevalent that the government now has a Minister of…
The death of a beloved is an amputation.—CS Lewis As we wrapped up 2018, our coastal congregation was rocked by grief. Loved ones near and far were lost as if the ending of the year meant that lives were concluding as well, like a succession of doors clicking closed. Mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings. And though no loss is less than another, none struck me quite like the Facebook post by a young mom who shared…
It’s basic. Everyone wants to be better, do better, look better, feel better. But when we look back at 2018 and our grand resolutions, we see missteps, unfulfilled goals, or outright failures. So at the front end of a new year we hunker down and grit our teeth and set resolutions and goals for a new year. But by the end of 2019, we’ll go through the same ritual. Why do resolutions seem like…
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a…