Categories
Christian Living

Should You Build Bigger Barns?

I’m an avid reader. I love books: to buy them, receive them, read them, and collect them. My common birthday and Christmas gift requests are for books. I have four bookcases of them, full and overflowing, with another 100 stacked on the floor. My overstuffed library is a dilemma. I need another bookshelf. This reminds […]

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: Kisses from Katie

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption By Katie Davis, with Beth Clark (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)From all appearances, Katie Davis was a typical all-American high school student: homecoming queen, class president, lots of friends, and frequent trips to the mall, a loving boyfriend, cool convertible, and doting parents who would do […]

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Christian Living

Is New Years a Spiritual Experience?

Make This Year Different Than Last Christmas is (or at least, should be) a spiritual event. It is a grand celebration of Jesus. In my prior post, Reimagining Christmas, I encouraged a reclamation of the day’s true meaning and making it a spiritual experience. Now, seven days hence, another holiday is upon us: New Year’s […]

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Personal Posts

It’s That Time of Year

It was inevitable; it was going to happen eventually. With periodic threats being advanced by meteorologists over the past five or six weeks, one such prediction finally proved to be true. Last night, with the odds at 60%, we received our first snowfall of the season. It was but a dusting. However, as is the norm, more […]

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Bible Insights

Which Gospel Should I Read?

The Bible contains four separate accounts of the life of Jesus. They are biographies of Jesus, which we call Gospels. The question is often asked, “Which one should I read first?” That is a hard to answer, as each one has its own strengths. Matthew The Gospel written by Matthew does much to connect Jewish […]

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Bible Insights

Jesus Was Homeless

In this Christmas season our thoughts turn more intentionally and more frequently to Jesus, the reason for this annual celebration. In consideration of the first Christmas, my thoughts are warm and cozy, happy and joyous, and idyllic and serene, with angels singing, kings bearing gifts, and happily contented shepherds shepherding.  This is all true, but […]

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Personal Posts

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

It was just this week that we had our first snowstorm of the season. In fact, it was just last week that we had our first snow. It is unusually late that these events occurred in December. Our first snow is invariably before Thanksgiving and sometimes even before Halloween.  I do remember one year, taking our kids […]

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Bible Insights

Money: How Much is Enough?

Money: How Much is Enough? How much money is enough when you give to charity? When considering gifts to God, that is a difficult question to answer.  This is because God’s economy functions differently than ours. This is aptly illustrated in the following story: Jesus notices the rich people giving gifts to the temple treasury.  […]

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Personal Posts

Winter is Here—Where are You?

Today officially marks the first day of winter, but to me it’s been “winter” for a month and a half—with about three more months to go! On my list of favorite seasons, winter comes in fourth. Currently, we are in the midst of another winter storm, with temperatures in the low single digits and wind chills […]

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Personal Posts

The Queen of Desserts

Yesterday, my bride (aka, the Queen of Desserts) went on a Christmas baking frenzy. The preliminary round occurred on Monday, but the main event was on Thursday, sunup to well past sundown cooking extravaganza. Sadly, I was fasting and unable to assume my normal role of taste tester. I know that she secretly enjoys me hovering around […]