Author Ava Pennington
Author Ava Pennington

Taking Offense

Were you offended today? We live in a society where taking offense is now the norm. And the catalog of culprits multiplies by the minute, with politics and religion topping the list. Sadly, it seems our culture is especially offended by the claims of Christianity,...

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Absolute Truth…or Not?

Is there such a thing as absolute truth? If you answered yes, you share a traditional world view that is quickly falling out of favor in our culture. If you said no, you’ve just contradicted yourself. Saying there’s no such thing as absolute truth is actually making...

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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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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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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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We Have Not Loved Well

We are to love well. Jesus said love would be the mark of His followers—love for each other and even love for their enemies. But we have not loved well. For 2,000 years, believers have bickered and fought with each other. Splitting hairs and splitting churches over...

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One Word Update – Wrong Word for 2018?

By most people’s standards, I picked the wrong word for 2018. For several years now, instead of making new year's resolutions, I've practiced selecting one word to focus on each year. Actually, it’s not so much that I select the word, it’s more that it’s the word I...

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Running Out of Time

We’re careful about how we spend our money. And we’re careful about exhausting our energy reserves. We’re also careful about how we spend our time…or are we? When I worked in the corporate world, I taught training sessions on time management. The components of time...

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Packed for the Journey

With our 40th wedding anniversary approaching in a few days, I thought you might enjoy this personal account from the day Russ and I were married… ~~~ “There’s no room!” I squeezed back the tears, but my husband of just a few hours stood resolute. Romantic...

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Describing Marriage

June is traditionally the month for weddings. All the planning and expenses come together for a grand beginning as two people join their lives together. If only we put as much effort into preparing for the marriage as we do preparing for the wedding. For most of my...

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Commanded to Love Differently

Commanded to Love Differently

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