Relationships

Correct Your Christianese

Rick Deal
8 Dec 2013
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There are many expressions that have become common in Christian vernacular. Sometimes we can use these phrases for so long that we forget what they may sound like from the outside. It’s good to reexamine what we say from time to time; to rethink sayings that could easily be misunderstood or simply seen as lacking sincerity. Here we have a few phrases that may need to be retired, or at least rethought. “Christians aren’t perfect, they’re just forgiven.” What it is supposed to mean: We as Christians are no better or more worthy of salvation than the rest of the world. We […]

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The Art of Appreciation

Patricia Hartman
5 Nov 2013
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This is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, the holiday dedicated to thanking God for our bounty of blessings. On this day, we may also be mindful to thank others in our lives. But what about the other 364 days? Are they days of appreciation or criticism? What’s your score? With your closest relatives/friends in mind, answer the following questions for each: When was the last time you spoke an appreciation to them? When was the last time you criticized them? What is your appreciation versus criticism ratio for them? Did you find that you are the most critical of those […]

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Overcoming Life’s Losses

Dr. John Hawkins
6 Oct 2013
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The one constant of life is change, something most people do not like. When it comes to the material world, this change usually involves some form of loss. Why is this so? The answer is a theological one, because of the fall – the curse of sin. The curse of sin is death, decay and all that leads up to this final loss. Everything in the material world is in a constant process of running down. This is the second law of thermodynamics loosely paraphrased. This is even true of our own bodies. In order to live a happy and […]

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Tips for Everyday Evangelism

Bob Woods
1 Oct 2013
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The idea of stepping out in faith to engage in one-on-one personal evangelism can be daunting. Often, we are afraid of rejection, worried about achieving results, or we don’t want to feel as if we are imposing our beliefs on others. But if what we believe is true, we have the light and the truth to share with a lost and dying world. Here are some practical tips and key concepts to remember. Remember what interests people Most people love to talk about themselves, their families and their own personal interests. This can be a natural way to start a […]

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Get Your Date Night On

Patricia Hartman
11 Sep 2013
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A recent study sponsored by The National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia reported that married couples who had one-on-one couple time at least once a week were over three times more likely to report being very happy in their marriages, highly satisfied with sex, and highly satisfied with communication. Is that how your friends rate their marriages? How about you? With local divorce rates exceeding 60 percent, having a regular date night might be just what your relationship needs. Relational by design God has created us as relational beings. In Genesis 2:18, God said, “It is not good […]

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The Davids and Goliaths

Chrissie Ferguson
6 Aug 2013
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Weird. Nerd. Fat. Ugly. Just words? Maybe. But when used to hurt someone else, words become devastating and painful. Words become objects thrown at a child, transforming his or her life forever. Bullying. It’s something that happens on the playground. It’s something that happens on the bus. It happens on the playing field and in the classroom. It happens through email, text messaging and social networks. It can even happen in a child’s home. Bullying has been around for as long as we can remember. It is recorded as far back as biblical times. Remember Goliath? He was a bully. […]

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The Psychology of Superiority

Dr. John Hawkins
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High school cliques, racial prejudice, and atrocities such as genocide all have one thing in common. They originate and exist because one group thinks they are superior to another group. This phenomenon could be called the “psychology of superiority,” and is the cause of much of the conflict in the world at various levels. A problem with a solution Psychology is the study of the human mind and emotions. A more literal translation of the word would be “a study of the human spirit or soul.” There seems to be something innate in all people that consider their group superior […]

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7 Steps to Save Your Marriage

Dabney Hedegard
1 Aug 2013
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Most people treat their pets better than their spouse. It’s true. The person we once adored quickly becomes the enemy once we tie the knot. So how do we beat the fifty-percent-of-Christian-marriages-end-in-divorce odds? What if I told you the greatest joy you could experience takes place at home, with your spouse? Before you disagree, hear me out. I’m not a counselor. I’m a survivor of a bad marriage that was heading towards divorce. It took battles with cancer, debt and other distractions before our hearts changed. Let me explain. Once married, I clung to my husband for emotional comfort, advice […]

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Blind Spots

Dr. John Hawkins
11 Jul 2013
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Most people have experienced driving their cars and not seeing another car in their blind spot. The result can range from a startling surprise to a disastrous wreck. My car has a small mirror within each outside side mirror to show anyone in the blind spot. I can see the reality of what is rather than what I think the reality is. Likewise we all have blind spots about ourselves. Things we just don’t see about our character and how we interact with others. The results of these blind spots can range from surprising to downright disastrous in our relationships. […]

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This Thing Called Love

Caroline Navega
2 Jul 2013
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“I think that possibly, maybe, I’ve fallen for you…” As the song played in the background of the quaint Italian coffee shop, people ordered their café lattes and pastries, walking mindlessly past the young couple. To the passersby, they were two regular people having coffee — nothing noteworthy. That’s a fair judgment, though, seeing as how they felt the same way. “No one understands me quite like you do…” The song kept on, as though hand-picked for the scene, fitting perfectly as they sipped their lattes and let their eyes do all the talking. The only words that seemed to […]

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