relationship
-
The Spiritual Abuser: The Five Lies They Tell
At thirteen years old, in eighth grade, I became the victim of a spiritual abuser. I just didn’t realize it for years. I attended confirmation classes in my church and sang in the choir, rang bells in the handbell choir, and participated in the youth group. Ardent for the Lord, I led my youth group in a twenty-four-hour prayer vigil. But I was also vulnerable and awkward. Too tall too fast and prone to saying the wrong thing, I carried a full contingent of insecurities. So when my mother’s prayer partner and friend, (I will call her Gladys) cornered me one day after I had babysat her children for an…
-
Release from Regret: Recapture your Hope
There is no regret in the kingdom of God, but that doesn’t mean we don’t struggle mightily with it. I imagine David after the prophet, Nathan, informs him that his son from Bathsheba will die because of his sins of murder and adultery. His chief regret, I assume, is that the consequences of his actions have affected more than just himself. I cannot imagine David’s horror as he watches his son die, knowing that his sin caused it. But after the child passes, David leaves his grief and goes to resume his duties on behalf of Israel. To the heart of some, this may seem callous, but David’s own words…
-
God, Man, and Animals: A Kind of Paradise Explored
That bulls are dangerous animals is without question. So when one attacked my friend, Mike, I was hardly surprised. After all, I lived in Kentucky and witnessed firsthand a bull taking out the corner of a neighbor’s brick house in a frenzied rage. When his dairy cows had acted as a unit to save his life, Mike entered the Dairy Farmer’s Hall of Fame (Well, he would if there was one). His girls, as he called them, were docile and affectionate. His farm was small enough that he knew each of his cattle by name. Theirs was a relationship of cooperation as he relieved their swollen udders twice a day,…
