There are many people who want to or have abandoned the idea of marriage. I’m not speaking in the political realm of who should marry, but the whole concept of whether marriage is necessary for anyone. In a Washington Post web article referring to this topic, the author cites research indicating that 44% of the people born after 1980 believe marriage is becoming obsolete. This may not be surprising since a new analysis of U.S. census data reports that only 51 percent of all adults who are 18 and older are married.

Must a lifeguard drown to prove compassion? Or would we call her wise if she kept her distance by extending a pole to save a thrashing swimmer? Evangelical believers desire to show Good Samaritan love toward the needy. Yet is the Samaritan parable the right lens for viewing our duties in the border crisis? Or does the present invasion swarming our southern states invite a larger biblical perspective? Consider the possibility that we are dealing with another biblical concept known as judgment. Deuteronomy describes national consequences which today’s religious leaders neglect as they use the charged language of “compassion,” “love,” and “keeping families together.” It’s time to peel away emotive labels and examine this crisis afresh in light of Scripture.

I watched a woman drive her van into the parking lot of the local grocery store. I was there waiting in the car for my wife to come out and this lady pulled into the spot in front of me. She opened the driver’s side door slowly as though her arms were weighted with lead. She emerged with her head hanging a little low. She pushed a button on her key ring to activate the opening of the side door. My window was open a crack and I heard the sound of a baby cry. The woman then stuck her head in the side door and after a few moments materialized with the handle of a baby seat in her left hand, a whimpering toddler positioned on her right hip, and another toddler walking closely by her left side. From where I sat, I could sense the woman’s feeling of exhaustion. Frankly I was tired just watching her.

Did you know that your values, passions, skills, talents, experiences, and life purpose fit into an overall vision and mission for your life? That they somehow relate? That they can and should give you direction? They are instrumental in identifying the life God desires for you. Like puzzle pieces, they form a picture of who you are and who you are supposed to be. If you’re like me, you don’t want to be an ordinary person living an ordinary life for ordinary reasons. Ordinary, for you, means forgettable, superficial, and insignificant. No, you want to live a life that’s extraordinary. Significant. A life that powerfully impacts eternity. You want something to show for your life.

Guiding Light Mission is seeking appropriate candidates to lead and manage its development function. The ideal candidate will demonstrate multiple years of successful development in the faith NP sector. This individual will need highly developed organizational skills and be able to multi-task. The candidate must be comfortable meeting and communicating with major donors. Highlights of the position include, but not limited to, the following areas:

Okay dads of all ages and stages, I've got some questions for you to answer on this Father's Day.

What's the best memory you created with your family this year? How did you influence your kids to be a good example in this world over the last couple of months? What would your kids say about you as a dad since last Father's day? What are some things that you look forward to doing with your family during the rest of the summer?

Being a business owner, I often lose sight of what’s important. I memorize my presentations (so I can wow my audience), balance my books (so I don’t get in trouble), attend networking events (so I can find clients), and take continuing education courses (so I can know and implement best practices in coaching and leadership development). Yes, I lose focus, which as a business owner, means fulfilling my mission: to help my clients grow and flourish, both personally and professionally.

A family I know loves to play basketball together. They call it “family basketball” and they play in the driveway of their home. It’s a mom and dad and two boys. They love to whoop it up—shoot free throws, block shots, and drive the basket, all the while joking and laughing with each other. Quite often while they play, a 10 year-old boy from down the street will ride his bike back and forth in front of their driveway. He doesn’t say anything but it’s obvious he’s dying to get in the game. He lives with his mother and grandmother, but no father and no basketball hoop.

Have you played today? No, I don’t mean surfed the web or ran a lap around your neighborhood. I mean play. You know, did you splash in a puddle, let your dog lick your face, tickle the kids, slurp spaghetti, or tell a joke?

Yeah, yeah. You’re busy with work, cleaning, and a million little things to do. Yet we can’t escape the fact that play isn’t a nice add-on at the end of the day. Rather, play is essential for our growth and joy. And while we recognize that play is critical for kids’ development, we tend to forget that play is good for us old people, too.

If I had to put it bluntly, I’d say many American Christians don’t have a clue about how to do ministry in Muslim-based cultures.  Nor, frankly, do most of us know, really, what a Muslim is, what he or she believes, or how we can or should befriend much less talk about Jesus with a Muslim neighbor or co-worker. Until a few months ago, I’d have to put myself in the same category.

     And we’re not down to bedrock.  The problem goes deeper.  Truth be told, some American Christians don’t particularly want to know much about Muslims—expect maybe how to make a them go away.

A Moment in Time

“Hey kid, get a haircut” is a resonant symbolic statement from my youth, the 60s when America seemed to turn upside down and inside out. It was a time when the Counter Culture pushed us, pushed the Church, to explain the “Why?” of our lifestyle standards.

     “We don’t drink or smoke or chew, or go with girls who do,” said the Church.

     “Why?” Culture asked.