Author Ava Pennington
Author Ava Pennington

Is It a Conviction or a Preference?

I’m a person of strong opinions. It’s a rare occasion when I don’t have an opinion on a subject. Lately, though, I’ve been wondering about the art of disagreement. Without meaning to, I’ve come up against passions that run high and emotions that run deep. The subjects...

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After 9/11…or any Tragedy: Where was God?

This week we commemorated a horrific event in our nation’s history. Social media feeds once again overflowed with posts and photos from September 11, 2001—a day that (please excuse the cliché) will live in infamy. Whether it’s 9/11 or another tragedy, personal or...

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Why Me? Why Not Me?

Living in Florida, I recently engaged in a stressful dance with Hurricane Dorian. For those who haven’t been following the vagaries of tropical weather, Dorian crossed the Atlantic as a tropical storm that grew into a Category 5 hurricane. With a peak wind speed of...

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Abounding in Hope Despite the Rain

Hurricane Barry made landfall on the Louisiana coast in July as 2019’s first hurricane. As Barry approached, fears about the Category 1 hurricane focused primarily on water damage from storm surge, an already high Mississippi river, and torrential rain. And Hurricane...

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Is Peace with the World a Reasonable Goal?

By now you may have heard about Christian celebrities who have either renounced their faith or are in the process of losing their faith. The most recent celebrity to do so is Marty Sampson, a lyricist long associated with Hillsong and whose songs many of us have sung...

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Anniversaries of Grief and a Year of Firsts

Image by Manie Van der Hoven from Pixabay Anniversaries are usually celebrated. They often mark days we want to remember. Days of joy that make us thankful. Birthdays. Wedding anniversaries. Adoption days. But we mark some anniversaries reluctantly. Wishing the day...

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Time to Clean the Filter

Been thinking about filters this week. Especially since the first of the month is when I switch out the main air conditioner filter. For the past several years, I’ve had my home’s air conditioning system serviced semi-annually. And I’m compulsive about cleaning and...

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How Well Are You Known?

Twenty years ago, I moved from New York City to a much smaller city in Florida. More of a small town, actually. I welcomed the fresh air, the slower pace, and the improved quality of life. But I also needed to make some adjustments… About a week after our move, after...

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The Cross and the Supreme Court

Happy 243rd birthday, America. You've changed a lot in those 243 years. In some ways for the better. In other ways, not so much. But one of the most significant changes is in how the cross is perceived in our culture. For centuries, the cross has been an undeniable...

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