Author Ava Pennington
Author Ava Pennington

Cathedrals, Temples, and the Dwelling Place of God

Our news feeds have been filled with horrific pictures of Notre Dame Cathedral being consumed by devastating flames. The videos remind me of a proverbial train wreck—it hurts to look but you can’t look away either. The 850-year-old Cathedral is an iconic landmark that...

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Sympathy and Empathy

Do you know anyone who has lost a loved one? A spouse, a child, a parent? I’ve watched people around me lose those they love through illness, accident, old age, or even by self-inflicted means. And I’ve felt bad for them. Sympathy. Knowing about their loss and pain,...

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Unplanned

I watch movies to be entertained. To smile and laugh and cheer at happy endings. I don’t watch movies to be disturbed...until now. And I’m about to encourage you to watch a movie that will disturb you greatly. Unless you’ve recently returned from a lengthy stay on an...

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Justice, Mercy, or Both?

Look around. Listen to the politicians. Read the headlines. Talk to your neighbors and coworkers. It won’t take long before two themes emerge. Justice and mercy. But rarely do these two words occur in the same sentence, or even in the same conversation. There’s a lot...

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Faith and Consistency

Do you believe in gravity? Do you believe in electricity? Of course you do. So do I. And we prove our belief every time we take a step or turn on a light. But when it comes to biblical truth and spiritual matters, our beliefs don’t always translate into actions. And I...

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Does God Ever Forget?

Anyone other than me find themselves becoming a little more forgetful as they get older? It happens, doesn’t it? The same weakness we saw in our parents and grandparents (and chuckled at!) is now showing up in us. And if you haven’t experienced this yet, no worries…it...

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Do You Have a Fat Heart?

Fat. A word that causes more grief than the three letters deserve. For most of us, gaining weight is much easier than losing it. Those five pounds I lost from September to November? Yup, they reappeared in the three weeks leading up to Christmas. And it took until now...

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Hard Truths Relevant to Today’s Headlines

I’ve heard it over and over again. “The Bible is an ancient, mythological book irrelevant to modern culture.” Is it? The Christian community would disagree. Those who do not follow Christ are not convinced. We could lock horns and argue about this until Jesus returns....

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The Trouble with Anonymity

Anonymity can bring pleasant surprises. Someone ahead of you pays your bill in the drive-thru.   Or you receive a card or gift in the mail from an anonymous friend.  But anonymity can create problems, too. How many times have you been the victim of...

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