Today I contemplate my purpose. What defines me? In our culture, after we learn a new person’s name, the next question is almost always related to what they do. Other times we’re defined, not by what we do, but by what happens to us. Rape victim. Cancer survivor. I am...
Poor Recordkeeping Recommended
Few national proclamations for the month of April sound as boring as “Records and Information Management Month.” This uninspiring designation is probably related to April 15—the day by which income tax returns are submitted to the U. S. federal government. The weeks...
Theology is Messy, But God is Good
Our family recently survived a brush with Matthew, a category 4 hurricane. No, that’s not quite right. Compared to some other locations, we did more than survive. We thrived. Yes, we cleared away debris, and several neighbors lost large trees. But all in all we were...
When Our Foundations are Shaken
Christians are feeling betrayed. Motivated by a desire to be good citizens, many of us have taken an active interest in the welfare of our country. We’ve participated in the political process. We’ve supported candidates we thought would lead this nation according to...
Why Am I So Lonely?
Skimming through the newspaper recently, I came across a gossip column about Judy Garland. A play about her life opened in London and may soon be coming to Broadway. This Hollywood icon originally became famous because of her starring role in The Wizard of Oz. But she...
Tax Freedom Day
You’ve probably heard the adage attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Most of us know when Tax Day is. Every year, on or before April 15 (this year it was April 18 due to a Washington, D.C....
What Are You Living For?
Each year on April 13, I stop to ask the same question. I look back on the past twelve months, look forward to the coming year, and ask myself: “Does my life reflect what I claim to be living for?” It’s a question I do not answer casually. Our time on earth is...
Soul Mate
I’m a hopeless romantic. You probably know the type. I don’t enjoy a book or movie unless it has the proverbial happy ending. I appreciate it when hubby opens the door for me or holds out my chair at the table. Yes, I’m a hopeless romantic married to my soul mate…or...
Identity Confusion
Who are you? What is your gender? Your ethnicity? Nationality? There was a time, in the not too distant past, when people accepted that certain physical characteristics are unalterable. Of course, we’ve always used tools and techniques to present our physical...
Connect or Disconnect?
Come out and be separate. No. Go out and be salty. Connect or disconnect? Which is it? As our culture distances itself from its Judeo-Christian roots, Christians are finding themselves more and more isolated by their values from the mainstream. Christian holidays are...
Receive Ava’s weekly blog
posts & occasional
newsletters in your inbox!
You May Also Like
Is Christianity Irrelevant?
Is Christianity Irrelevant? Is Christianity irrelevant? If you’re a Bible-believing follower of Christ, you’ve...
When in Christ . . .
When in Christ . . . I watched a movie the other day where the dialogue included the phrase, “When in Rome....”...
Bluegrass and Jesus
Bluegrass and Jesus I attended my first bluegrass concert last week . . . and it was not what I expected. The...