Good Character Never Goes Out of Style
What character trait best defines you? In the world of fast fashion and FOMO (fear of missing out), good character never goes out of style. What is good character? Good character is about your values and motives for making choices not just being a good person. A few good character traits are integrity, compassion, loyalty, respect, responsibility, and courtesy. When people hear your name or your child’s name mentioned, what character traits come to mind? Are they the ones you are proud of? Are there some you need to work on? 5 character trait quiz questions To see where you land on building good character, answer with your most honest answer. Speak to others (courtesy and respect) When the store clerk asks how you are doing Look down at your phone and ignore the question Say “Fine” Say “Fine” and ask the question back, making eye contact Help others (compassion and respect) When you are with friends and a stranger drops a whole box of colored pencils in a busy walkway Staring at your phone, you do not notice Walk by, then laugh about it with your friends Pause and see if the person wants help picking them up Leave…
Easter Basics
What do you know about the basics of Easter? Suppose you only visit church on Christmas and Easter or you have never visited one but are curious about Easter. Here are some Easter Basics to get you started or help you understand what Christians are celebrating. Easter Basics Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection (coming back to life) of Jesus Christ from the dead after his crucifixion (hung on the cross) and death. Two thousand years ago Jesus, the son of God, was hung on a cross, died, was buried, and three days later he came back to life. Followers of Jesus Christ are called Christians. Sinless God demands payment for sin (wrong doing) and Jesus gave his own life to pay for the sins of mankind. This is why Christians annually celebrate Easter, celebrating new life and new beginnings. Instead of a death sentence, eternal life is a free gift for all who believe. This is the best free gift ever. Way better than chocolate bunnies, marshmallow peeps or colored eggs full of jelly beans. Many cultural traditions of Easter are merely that. Cultural traditions to celebrate the arrival of spring such bunnies, eggs, flowers, lambs, and…
Book Review: When Words Matter Most
When do words matter most? Just as I was finishing working through the book Truthfilled: The Practice of Preaching to Yourself Through Every Season by Ruth Chou Simons, a friend gave me a copy of the book When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love by Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser. These two books go hand in hand. Colossians 3:16 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” We must first let the Word of Truth dwell in us. We must preach truth to ourselves. This is where Truthfilled is helpful. It’s not a self help book but a beautifully illustrated and practical reminder that in the trials of life, the truth of God is unchanging and life changing. This book is a 7 session study that you can do on your own or with a group. The art alone is worth a view! When Words Matter Most takes this concept to the next level. Once we have internalized this truth, we can then share it with others, strengthening and encouraging them…
Book Review: Imperfect Disciple
What do you do when you struggle to get your act together but keep failing? Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together, by Jared C. Wilson, is the perfect book to read with a friend this summer. Wilson’s conversational style of writing makes you feel like you are sitting across the table at a coffee shop or at an airport waiting area having a chat. His wisdom makes you feel smarter not smaller once you finish a chapter. Read a chapter, let it settle in, then discuss it with a friend or two. Repeat 10 times. Preferably with an iced coffee. Wilson takes readers on a discipleship journey through his own stories with humor and honesty. Knowing you are not alone in this journey nor do you have to have it all together all the time will build your confidence. Discipleship is doing life on life with someone else. Normal life. Messy life. Wilson understands a life full of questions and knows a Book full of answers. After hearing Wilson speak in person a few years ago, some friends and I did a book study with Imperfect Diciple. There are not questions at the end of…
Suicide Awareness
Why don’t we talk about suicide? We don’t talk about Bruno and we don’t talk about mental health issues or suicide awareness. Do we really wish to hide it or is it simply because we don’t know what to do about it? Why don’t we talk about suicide? Recently, my family was hit by the shock and grief of death by suicide. It had a ripple effect on families, workplaces, schools, and communities. It also opened the door of the church and community for help and healing for the survivors. How can we help prevent death by suicide? Our hearts break for all those with heavy pain, those who struggle with depression and mental health issues and those who love them. Warning signs can be despair, self-focus, hopelessness, isolation, and destructive behavior. Ways to help can be removing a person from danger, not leaving them alone, removing dangerous objects, and talking about the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 27:13 reminds us of our hope and reason to live. God is our light and our salvation. Hope and help from just one person may be just what it takes to save a life. Be the friend who walks in the darkness…
God is my rock
How does your view of God affect how you live? God is my rock. My fortress. My strong tower. He is my hope and my strength. How you view God affects how you live. What does that mean? If I don’t trust God to be who He says or to keep His promises, then I think too little of God. As a result, I don’t rely on Him. Or maybe I think He’s only sometimes going to answer my prayers or only if I’m really good is He going to listen to me. When I think that, I make prayer and devotions all about me. I should make them all about God. When things get hard I need to remember to trust God to be who He says He is…my rock, my hope, my creator. He is strong, just, loving, and forgiving. And so much more! We can rely on Him. We can anchor to Him in the storms. God is my rock. Oh what comfort and joy that brings me in each season of life. I can have peace in the midst of storms and I can have a place of celebration in the midst of good times. My…
How to Answer the Questions Kids Ask About Life and God
How do I explain the basics of the Christian faith to my kids if I didn’t grow up in church? What do you do when your kids ask you big questions about life and God, but you struggle to even answer those questions yourself? A friend recently asked me this question. She wanted to know how to answer the questions kids ask about life and God. She knew what she believed but was hesitant to try to explain it to her kids for fear of messing up the answers because she didn’t grow up in the church and missed out on hearing all the familiar stories taught in Sunday School. Essentially, my friend and her kids needed to learn some basic theology (the study of God) and basic Bible doctrines (Bible beliefs) together. What you believe affects how you live so understanding and talking about theology with your kids is important to Christian parents. It doesn’t have to be as hard or complicated as it sounds. It can be reading and talking together at the dinner table or storytime. I actually get excited about the questions kids ask about life and God. It means they are thinking. It means they…
Psalm 71 – A Psalm of Hope
Who or what is your anchor? Psalm 71 is a psalm of hope. It reminds us of God’s constant help and our testimony of being anchored to the Rock. When our future seems uncertain, we can look back and see the certainty of God and we can rely on that certainty to continue in the future. Psalm 71 is a wonderful mix of problems and praise. We can choose joy in the midst of struggle. We can choose to anchor ourselves to God, our rock and salvation. Make Psalm 71 your prayer today. I’ve been studying and praying through this psalm. Here are some of my notes. God is our Rock Verses 1-3: Trust in God who delivers His people These verses describe the writer’s trust in God and his confidence in that trust. He is satisfied with God’s promises and boldly asks God, his Rock, for deliverance. Verses 4-6: Trust in God’s steadfast care These verses describe the troubles of the writer and proclaim his hope and trust in God. His confidence in God is encouraged by his experiences from the earliest stages of life. With this confidence in God’s continued care, he makes requests and promises continued praise.…
Ministry Review: Moms In Prayer International
Is praying for an hour straight hard or easy for you? “Moms in Prayer International impacts children and schools worldwide for Christ by gathering mothers to pray.” This tagline says it all and it’s probably one of the best parenting decisions I ever made. For many years, I joined like minded moms in praying for our children, their schools, and their teachers. What started as two moms praying together in 1984 has now grown to groups in over 150 countries with the vision that eventually every school in the world would be covered by a group of praying moms. The premise is to pray for your kids and their schools for an hour each week. I really liked the format they provide weekly, which is an outline for your prayer time and starts with highlighting an attribute of God. Since the groups are organized by schools, it’s not likely that everyone is from the same church which I found to be a strength. The best part of my week was the hour spent praying with sisters in Christ, passionate about our kids, schools and teachers. When I went back to work as a teacher, I also really appreciated knowing that…
The Middle Years: The Promises
What’s the Meaning of a Promise Ring? There’s a certain anticipation of coming of age and promises no matter how your family or culture celebrates it. I wanted to do something special for my girls but not a purity ring or a big party. I wanted to let my girls know that I promised to love them, encourage them, and be in their business until they got married or moved out of my house. With a little research and an amazing jeweler in Ireland, I got each of my girls a Claddagh ring that matched the one I wore. It’s said to mean “let love and friendship reign.” The ring That’s what I wanted for their growing up years – love and friendship between parents and kids. We took them individually out to a fancy dinner around the age of 14 and presented the ring and a letter with our promises to be by their side. Memories were made. Their dad treated them like they could expect to be treated on a date, with respect and attention. Both girls have had the opportunity to tell that story when people have asked if their ring is a purity ring or a…