If you can read this, thank a teacher. Reading is a skill that both fascinates and frustrates us from an early age. Mastering this ability takes time, energy, patience, and, for some, multiple boxes of Kleenex. Reading opens the doors to myriad opportunities and is a privilege that many do not have access to. According to LiveScience.com, one in seven people in the United States cannot read this sentence. As Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” April is Family Reading Month; below are a few suggestions to help you celebrate by encouraging your […]

Since the beginning of 2013, an estimated 18 billion pounds of food has been wasted in the United States. Based on these findings, by the end of this year, there should be approximately 72 billion pounds of food wasted in the United States alone. The average American consumes nearly one ton of food in a given year. (Nowadays, “average” weight for an American male is 180 pounds and 160 pounds for an American female.) If food waste prevention measures were taken, the amount of wasted food could potentially feed 7.5 million people in one year. It has become a commonplace […]

Christians are often looked down upon by the secular world because of a historically held belief that humans “reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). While this is true, both Christians and non-Christians alike have sometimes misconstrued this verse as having a mandate to exploit the earth and its resources as we see fit. In Leviticus 25:23-24, God clearly states that, “The land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers … you must provide for the redemption of the […]

(Scroll down to leave a comment on this awesome change from mid-day to midnight) “When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ And some of the bystanders hearing it said, ‘Behold, he is calling Elijah.’ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will […]

Around the New Year, people naturally take time to reflect on what happened over the past year, the good and the bad, and wait with excited anticipation for a new year, a clean slate and a fresh start. But for many, the recent storms they have endured or the mistakes they have made have left them feeling overwhelmed and depressed. Instead of moving forward into the new season with confident expectation, their set of circumstances has derailed them. They are no longer excited about life, but are stuck on the sidelines in a thick cloud of condemnation and defeat. Does […]

On October 20, 2012, I married the love of my life. As my beautiful bride walked down the aisle I was absolutely beaming. I thought to myself, “She’s perfect, thank you Lord.” Marriage is an incredible blessing and I truly feel like a man who has received favor from the Lord and found a treasure (Proverbs 18:22). But in the midst of the joys and blessings marriage does have its challenges. Most of what happens after you put those rings on is what you make it. For my bride and I it has only been about three months since saying […]

A historical scientific discovery shook the world in the year 2000. Finally, the elusive code of human life was deciphered. The amazing DNA molecule unraveled. All 3.2 billion units (base pairs) would be identified with a colossal effort spanning over 10 years of intensive analysis and a cost of over 3 billion dollars. It involved an international effort that included England, France, Australia, Japan and host of other countries. Dr. Francis Collins, physician and geneticist, was the director of the project at the National Human Genome Research Institute. The researchers had successfully completed a rough copy in 2000 that would […]

Question: If the DNA of a chimp and a human are 98 percent similar, doesn’t this support the theory that humans evolved from apes? A picture of two half-faces, one of a human infant and the other of a baby chimpanzee, adorned the front cover of the October 6, 2006 issue of Time magazine. Written across the magazine in large and distinctive red letters was the provocative title, “How We Became Human.” Directly following, in small print, was, “Chimps and humans share almost 99% of their DNA. New discoveries reveal how we can be so alike…” However, when we understand […]

Have you ever been mistreated or wounded by another person? Sure, most of us have at some point in our lives. But have you let those wounds and the fear of being hurt again keep you from experiencing God’s very best? Many people today are in that exact predicament. Several weeks ago, I spent a couple of days with a friend visiting a hill tribe village in northern Thailand. During my stay, I saw many stray dogs scavenging for food, looking for handouts from people as they ate. The village people saw the dogs as a nuisance, so they yelled […]

We stand at the threshold of yet another year and, if God gives us the next 12 months, the question we need to ask and answer is this: “How does God want us to live them out?” It is far too easy to head off into another new year focusing in on ourselves and what we want rather than on our Savior and what He wants for us. It is in our DNA to ask questions like these… “What are the goals I want to accomplish?” “What are the plans I need to make?” “How far do I want to […]