Not Condemned
I’ve recently become familiar with the growing popularity of the concept of “self-compassion”—accepting ourselves as we are and giving ourselves the compassion and grace to heal and grow, no matter how long that takes.
My Greatest Enemy
A Christian leader was once asked: “Who is your greatest enemy?” He replied, “Every morning I see him in the mirror.” Perhaps that’s the real reason why some of us are facing challenges in our marriage, school, work, or church.
Cravings
For our family, vacations are treasured getaways from the demands of regular life. We enjoy visiting a variety of places, but one particular theme park has been a staple. Not wanting to exhaust our children when they were little, we limited our visits to one-day passes.
“Brutiful”
During my sister-in-law’s lengthy hospital stay, battling an advanced form of cancer, our family spent many hours in a “family room” just down the hall from her room. We befriended a family whose mother had been diagnosed with the same disease.
Perspective
Still half asleep, I gradually found my way to the bathroom to begin my morning routine. Grabbing my toothbrush, I coated it with toothpaste and sat down on the edge of the bathtub.
Human Race
The alarm clock goes off way too early. At least, that’s how it feels. But a long day awaits you. First, you need to drop the kids off at school. Then there’s a breakfast meeting to attend, followed by a whole series of urgent matters to deal with.
First Half, Second Half
Ready for a Bible quiz? Which king: attained national influence at age 16; was a genius in military deployment and national security; invented new military weapons; had true vision for commercial and business development; and possessed the Midas touch in husbandry and agriculture?
Disciplined for Freedom
My dog has been trained to always come back to me the instant I call or whistle. It’s taken a lot of work to get this response. And now he consistently listens for me and responds immediately—no matter what distraction is vying for his attention.
Radical Change
In a world where we so easily create virtual identities, we’re often tempted to paint ourselves in the best (exaggerated) light and to make ourselves appear as though we’re more accomplished or popular than we actually are.