Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently sounded the alarm on a growing health crisis in America: loneliness. He compared the effects of loneliness to smoking15 cigarettes a day, linking it to cardiovascular disease, dementia, stokes, depression and anxiety. One of the factors he blamed it on, is the rise of technology. As we spend more and…
Prayer Seed: Dear Abba, Thank you for allowing us to be set free from sin through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for the freedom that we have in our country which gives us the opportunity to worship You, and we don’t need to worry about this choice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
There has been a long debate, among church leaders, whether humor belongs in the pulpit. A handout I received at the Advanced Preaching course I took said, “Remember, you are not there to entertain them.” That might be good advice, since it is easy to go overboard and turn a serious topic into a farcical…
Prayer Seed: Dear Abba, Thank you, that as Your children, You take care of us. Thank you for meeting all of our needs, not just our physical needs, but also our emotional and spiritual needs. Thank you for sustaining us in so many ways, all the time.
“Honesty or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.” Wikipedia I have touched on some of the same attributes of character and integrity in other essays, but…
Prayer Seed: Dear Abba, Thank you for being compassionate and providing comfort for us. Sometimes we need to be reminded that when we need comforting or encouragement, we need to turn to You first instead of seeking comfort from food or other items, or other people, because You know the best way to comfort and…
There are five main types of growth and development: physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual. When our children are babies, there are certain milestones that we can watch for, such as weight gain, being able to hold their heads up, rolling over, sitting up unaided and so forth. When they are older, we don’t have those…
Prayer Seed: Dear Abba, Thank you for loving me. Thank you that Your love has now boundaries. Please help me to reflect Your love to others. Help me to see other people’s strengths instead of their flaws. Help me to be kind and encouraging to the people I encounter each day. I want to be…
Most people are familiar with the children’s books about Curious George and the saying “Curiosity killed the cat.” Both, imply that curiosity can get you into trouble. For that reason, as well of some of the reactions from exasperated teachers, when my son asked too many questions, he did not like to be labeled “curious”. …
Prayer Seed: Dear Abba, I know that with You, anything is possible. Sometimes I forget this and at these times, my faith isn’t as strong as it should be. Please help me to remember that as long as I have You in my life, I don’t need to worry about anything as long as I…