Category: Articles

A New Way to Approach the New Year Articles

A New Way to Approach the New Year

All we ever seem to hear during the first few weeks of the New Year is about the resolutions and goals of people who are inevitably headed for failure—usually, ourselves included. Setting goals, having dreams, and seeking change are great things. So why do we always seem to fail at achieving them? Our approach is all wrong. In 2015, I challenge you with a new way to approach the New Year.
The Challenge of Children: Facing Our Fear of the Family Articles

The Challenge of Children: Facing Our Fear of the Family

Having children these days is often seen as a misfortune or an impossible venture taken on only by the insane. Babies are even portrayed as monsters—think of the horror film Chucky—that are basically a curse, brought into this world only by accident, who ruin our lives and destroy our dreams of success. Our culture says woe to those brave souls who dare to take on the challenge of children. Today we face our fear of the family.
Music Mondays: Vivir Mi Vida Articles

Music Mondays: Vivir Mi Vida

I've heard this song over and over throughout the past few months, yet I never really listened to the lyrics other than the chorus. It's a salsa song that pulls you out of your chair and onto the dance floor, but more than that the lyrics open your eyes to the truth of the journey of faith.
How Expectations Hinder Prayer Articles

How Expectations Hinder Prayer

Prayer is to unite with God, with words, or thoughts, or actions, but above all it is to enter into God and let Him enter into us. The problem for many of us, is that our expectations of what will happen during prayer—what God will say or do, or even how we will feel—prevent us from truly giving ourselves over to God, and from receiving Him.
Failing at Faith: How We Get Christianity Wrong Articles

Failing at Faith: How We Get Christianity Wrong

Is it possible to get Christianity wrong, to fail at being a Christian? Yes. Although, as devastating as it is to realize, many people mistakenly believe that being a good Christian is on par with being a good person. And it sounds good, because it's easier to believe that personal morality is all you have to achieve. But it's not what Jesus tells us in the Gospels.
How Marriage Gets You Holy Articles

How Marriage Gets You Holy

Far too often Christians have the misconception that marriage is a sort of "default vocation", something we all fall-back on if we don't become a priest or a nun - since those are, of course, God's favored vocations for all men and women. This is very unfortunate, for it fails to see marriage for what it really is, a means to our eternal end, which as Christians is holiness.
Music Mondays: I Will Wait Articles

Music Mondays: I Will Wait

Waiting is hardly ever fun. It goes against everything that our instant gratification culture engenders in us. As the infamous, annoying little girl in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory put it: "I want it now!" That's exactly how most of us think and feel and live our lives. And that's exactly why we need to be told to wait.
Why We Need to Wake Up and Wage War Articles

Why We Need to Wake Up and Wage War

This morning I awoke to the quiet comfort of an armchair, a blanket, a book, and some coffee. As I read the words on the page, something awoke deep within me. I was awake, alive, yet not fully. My eyes were in a sense shielded, blinded from my surroundings. Suddenly, I found myself in the middle of a battle zone, bullets flying by, the Enemy in pursuit. The initial shock wore off and I realized that this wasn't a dream or my imagination, this was and is reality. We live in a world at war, yet we stand by and do nothing. We don't pick up our weapons, we don't enter into battle. We sit lackadaisically on our butts and complain about the injuries we have sustained and wish it was all better.
Dying to Live: Fire as a Model of a Deeper, Lasting Faith Articles

Dying to Live: Fire as a Model of a Deeper, Lasting Faith

Fire is an amazing thing to observe. It all starts with a tiny spark, which as it kindles the tinder surges up into a small flame that engulfs and grows ever stronger. Yet the glorious flames do not last forever. After a while the flames die down and the remaining coals burn red hot. It may not look like much, there is no longer a theatrical display of dancing light, but a more stable, and even stronger heat.
Movie Monday: Million Dollar Arm Articles

Movie Monday: Million Dollar Arm

Good sports films usually do a great job of revealing to us not only the benefits sports can have on us, but more than that they have a way of addressing important moral issues, appealing to our emotions, and reminding us that in this life we are in essence running a race.
God’s Plan for Marriage and the Family Articles

God’s Plan for Marriage and the Family

The dirty diapers and temper tantrums. The fighting and making up. Those moments when you can't take your eyes off of them and your heart fills with an unfathomable joy. Yes, there is a plan and purpose for it all. God has given us the great gift of marriage and the family with a specific end in mind. However, just like everything God does, we have to work with Him and it helps to know what He has in mind in order to take full advantage of His blessing.