Godly Insights for the 21st Century Life

"Those here without the Lord, how do you cope? For this morning we don't mourn like those who have no hope." ~ Newsboys, " Breakfast " "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope" ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Most of the time when I'm asked what my favorite song is, I tend to say the name of whatever song is speaking to me at that time. Christian music is full of so many great songs, and it always seems that another great song is released several times a year. It's almost impossible to choose just one to be an overall favorite, but a few years ago, that's just what I did. That song is the very one quoted above, "Breakfast" by the Newsboys. So what about this song makes it my all-time favorite? Yes, it's incredibly goofy, which some people don't like about it, but it also has some deep theological truth interspersed among all t...

"Cause you are the devil and the devil is bad You are the devil and the devil is bad You are the devil and the devil is bad You are the devil, and you are bad" ~ The Ws, " The Devil is Bad " Recently, there have been a lot of mass shootings, and therefore a lot of media coverage about mass shootings. Each time we hear of another senseless tragedy, there are always people clamoring for stricter gun control laws, as though criminals actually obey laws. (For my theory of what should actually be controlled to fix this scenario, please see my post SHUT IT OFF! ) What nobody seems to talk about, but everyone should, is that the true issue lies far deeper. Gun laws aren't the problem. Mental health care (or lack thereof) is not the problem. Not even overexcessive media coverage is actually the problem. The real problem is evil, and that comes straight from the Devil himself. We run a dangerous risk when we refuse to acknowledge Satan's presence in our live...

"Who have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on Earth I desire other than you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."-Psalm 73:25-26 In high school and college, one of my favorite bands was Barlowgirl, and a song of theirs I really enjoyed was Psalm 73 (My God's Enough) , which is based on the verses quoted above. Since hearing the song for the first time, I have listened to and sang along with it too many times to count. However, I have not always lived up to the challenge of actually letting God be enough in my life. About two months ago, I was reminded of one of those times, although it occurred before I had ever heard the song. My parents and I had to put my beloved cat Angel to sleep on March 13th after having her for almost 14 years. We got her because following Grandma's death, I searched for anything I could to fill the void in my heart, and I was sure a kitten would do the trick. While I loved h...

"There's just a million little memories that remind me you're not here. It's just a different kind of Christmas this year."~" Different Kind of Christmas "-Mark Schultz It's the most wonderful time of the year, isn't it? Unfortunately, that's not always true. For many, this Christmas marks the first one they're celebrating without a beloved friend or family member. As much as they want to celebrate, every part of the celebration is a reminder that there's one less person celebrating with them. Personally, I have felt this way two separate times, once thirteen years ago following my grandmother's death, and then again last year, following the death of my friend Katherine. She lost her battle with cancer only four days before Christmas, and since I knew it was coming, it was hard to get excited for the season. I knew that as Christmas was creeping closer, so, too, was her imminent demise. I prayed that she would survive long eno...