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...
Public Discourse vs. Public DisCOARSE
Social media and the evening news are both making me tired. Sad. Discouraged. Done. Today, I hit my limit. A friend posted a link announcing the president had signed an executive order correcting a difficult, complicated, and sad policy. (I’m not taking a politically...
Mate for Life
I never thought a sandhill crane would make me cry. A pair of sandhill cranes were living in our little corner of the neighborhood for the last year. It seems fitting, since they happen to be the logo of our development. We’ve watched them establish a routine....
The Weight of Our Words
When Hurricane Irma blew through south Florida last September, we were fortunate not to sustain damage to our home. But the natural environment did not fare as well. Trees toppled all around us. Hurricane force winds snapped off branches and uprooted trees. Root balls...
Friendships that Sharpen Me
According to Facebook, I have more than a thousand friends. Some of them I’ve never met in person. Many are acquaintances. Some are closer friends. Then there are the friendships that go deeper. These are the relationships that have stood the test of time. Friendships...
Does Our Communication Reflect Our Christian Identity?
Who are you? Whoever you are, does your vocabulary reflect your identity? Or are you masquerading as someone you’re not? Lately, I’ve been hearing Christians say things such as: Sending good thoughts your way. What’s your sign? Sending you good vibes. You’re so...
Christians, Please Stop Saying That
Last week another hurricane hit Florida. But it wasn’t just another hurricane. Irma is the most powerful storm to ever come out of the Atlantic. So large, it covered the whole state, coast to coast. The. Whole. State. We endured Category 1 winds on the east coast....
A New Way to Express Kindness
Kindness is a virtue most of us appreciate and many of us aspire to. You may have heard about the practice of random acts of kindness. It supposedly began in 1982 when Anne Herbert scrawled the words "practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a...
Another Summer Prayer Request
She did it again. Last summer, I blogged about a friend whose prayer request resonated with me. She wanted to use her summer break to “Love Deeply, Care Openly, Share Boldly”—a request that became my own that summer, too. Her request this year also touched me. She...
The Difference Between Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and Armed Forces Day…and What It Means for the Christian
It seems there’s a holiday for everything these days, including the military. And while it’s right to honor those who have served our nation, have you ever wondered why we have three different military holidays to do that? As Memorial Day approaches on Monday, I...
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