Godly Insights for the 21st Century Life

This afternoon, I witnessed the marriage of my beloved cousin Jessica. Though I did not meet Jacob, her new husband, until earlier this week, it was obvious that he was devoted to her and would make a great father figure for her son Colton. Their wedding was simple, and the reception was short with no dance and a homemade cake, but it was fun nonetheless. All in all it was a great day to celebrate two wonderful young adults becoming one and setting out on their new life together. The simplicity of today's wedding was contrary to what is promoted by Hollywood and the media. Ad slogans like "He went to Jared," "Every kiss begins with Kay," and "A diamond is forever" all point to one main idea: True love is shiny. If a man truly loves you, he will always buy you shiny expensive jewelry. The best weddings are ones set in a scenic place, with numerous attendants and a lavish reception afterwards with a long dance. The cake should be professionally made by

"Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge."      ~1 Peter 2:12 Most of us who have been a part of the church for any length of time have heard this verse, but are we really living it out? Sure you may be calm under pressure and smile at people even when you don't feel like it. You even show up at church every Sunday and greet people you don't know. You're doing everything right, or at least that's what you think. However, are you really keeping track of how well your actions are reflecting God's light all the time? Not many of us are, but we should be. When we don't, the results can be disastrous. There's the pillar of faith in the church whose marriage is crashing to the ground. The teacher who loves God and loves her students, but has trouble loving members of her own family. The young adult who's on fire for God on Sunday morning, but lets the fires

Much of my life has not been easy. There are many times when God's will for my life didn't seem very clear. One of those times was just after I graduated college in December 2011. Less than a week after my graduation, I found I was not admitted into the school counseling program, which was my second choice of masters programs. I had been planning to get a master's in special education, but after two failed student teaching attempts, that future was no longer possible. So right before Christmas, I found out that other than having my apartment for another semester, there was really no good reason to return to Manhattan. I did return, and ended up taking a couple of classes. I considered looking into another master's degree program. After much prayer, I decided that instead of jumping into applying for another master's program, it would be better for me to return home at the end of the semester and get a job as a para so I could gain more experience working with childr

Father God, I lift to you those brothers and sisters living in countries where loving You is a crime. I pray that You would give them strength and conviction and to keep their final destination in the forefront of their minds. Raise up new leaders among their numbers that can share Your love with those who do not know You, and give them the mindfulness to find ways to do so in secret. Enlighten the leadership in these countries to see the truth of Your love, and help these leaders have the courage to stand against those who would terrorize the people who love You. Protect those who come to know You and are threatened by members of their own families. Give them a safe place to go, and work in the hearts of lawmakers in those countries where this atrocity is not forbidden. No one should have to be afraid of those that raised them just because of a decision to follow You. Make the light of Your love so strong in Your people that those around them can't help but be amazed and want th

Last week, a group of atheists in Florida unveiled a bench outside a county courthouse in Florida. They wished to put it there because of a Ten Commandments statue outside that same courthouse. The community wouldn't let them tear it down, so they built something of their own. At first, I was upset, but then I realized that the freedom of religion in the First Amendment applies to them as well as it does to me. The problem I'm seeing now is that they can build a monument because of their freedom of religion (which is in the Constitution), but as an educator, I can't verbally share my faith with my students because of a need for "separation of church and state"(which isn't). This is a travesty that needs to be fixed, and soon. The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Building the bench was the atheists' way of exercising their right to freedom of r

This Tuesday marked the end of season 4 of NBC's hit reality show The Voice . The two-hour season finale was packed with performances from the top 16 artists as well as from some popular recording artists, such as Cher, One Republic and Florida Georgia Line. Some performances I enjoyed, such as winner Danielle Bradbury bringing back three other powerful female contestants for a rousing rendition of Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl." Others I had a hard time paying attention to. (Seriously, who could focus on a word Cher was singing with that outfit and hair drawing attention away from the vocals?) One in particular struck me because it missed the point entirely: Bruno Mars' "Treasure." The song talks about a woman he treasures, but the lyrics and dance moves suggest that he doesn't know what that means. A treasure is something that is sought after because it is rare and valuable. Pirates wouldn't have gone after something they could find j

Monday, May 20 A day that started just fine Then shortly before three o'clock Sirens began to whine Before they knew it A tornado touched down And with high-powered winds Started plowing through town For forty long minutes It twisted and tore 'Til most buildings in town Were rendered no more When the dust had settled And the sky had cleared People emerged from their shelter And all were saddened to hear Of 24 lives Tragically snuffed out 377 more were injured As the twister carved its route Despite all the damage The whirlwind did commit God's still in control And can bring good out of it God, please be with Those left behind Give them strength to go on Dry the tears that they cry Help us to know That You still reign Even when we're faced With sorrow and pain Help us to remember That all of Your plans Are for our benefit Our future is in Your hands Wrap your arms around us And we will know then You'll love us forever I

There are a lot of things infomercials are known for. They're long, they convince people to buy things they don't really need and they hide the true price by saying that the item can be received for "just five easy payments of $19.99!" But perhaps the main thing that they're known for is by saying over and over again, "But wait, there's more!" Time and time again they offer related items for no additional price (except, of course, shipping and handling). God is the same way. He is never content with just giving us one thing, but continues to add more and more blessings to our lives. However, unlike the informercials, his gifts don't cost a single thing. We are his children, and he loves to bless us far beyond our wildest dreams. But God doesn't stop there. He also loves to say "But wait, there's more" when times are tough. When we think our story is finished and everything is lost, He reminds us that He is not finished with us

In honor of the start of Lent on Wednesday, I've decided to post my first story behind the song on a song that I wrote a year ago. On the night I wrote it, I had driven from Manhattan to Kansas City to see Winter Jam at the Sprint Center. Even though I would have given just about anything to have been on my way to Oklahoma instead for the all-Wesley retreat, I had a commitment on Sunday and was unable to. Little did I know that God had different plans for me that weekend. Writing this song was one of them. I left my apartment about 11:00 to begin the trip. I stopped about noon to eat lunch, and ended up getting a cell phone charger because my phone had died en route, and I didn't want to be worried about getting stranded without a way of communicating, especially considering I likely would not get back until well after midnight. I parked across the street from the Sprint Center and stood in line for about 5 hours before they opened the doors. During the concert,  I was swept

"For we do not have a high priest  who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are --yet was without sin." - Hebrews 4:15 NIV, emphasis mine Have you ever  really  stopped to think about the words in this verse? Many will be familiar with it, but we don't always stop to think about what it means. Jesus was tempted in every way imaginable: the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Sure, we know that the devil tempted him with food, wealth and a chance to prove his power when he was in the wilderness. We even realize that he had some reservations about going to the cross. However, what about those temptations that the Bible doesn't even mention? It's easy to read this verse and think of a few simple temptations that Jesus would have faced. Some examples are disobeying his parents, cheating on his taxes, even occasionally smacking his disciples over the head when they started fighting amongst them

Heavenly Father, As we enter 2013, we thank you for the blessings we received in 2012. Some started a new chapter of their lives through the beginning of a new job or relationship, the birth of a child or a marriage. Some did not personally receive these things, but were blessed enough to celebrate with friends who did.  Some were given the blessing of new experiences, such as travel and learning new skills. One thing we are all thankful for is that the world did not end last month, so we are still around to glorify You and continue the work You have put us here to do. This year also brought sadness for many. Two shooting rampages shocked America and left grieving families and friends. We lift up those who lost loved ones and ask that You continue to be with them  and comfort them in this season of loss. Help them also to find it in their hearts to forgive the young perpetrators and to trust that although the reason why will never be clear this side of heaven, You still love them a