There’s nothing worse than receiving a gift from someone who clearly didn’t want to give it. Maybe they felt obligated, or perhaps they were simply following the old “reciprocal gift” rule—giving something back just because they felt they had to. Whatever the reason, their attitude makes the gesture feel empty, leaving you feeling like an […]
Manipulation
Worship – Appeasing an Angry God?
Are you still trying to get in God’s good books? Quit trying! If you are a Christ follower, you are already a beloved child in your Father’s good graces. An excerpt from “Dare to Call Him Friend” one of my devotional books, available in print or e-book formats. Is God about to drop the other […]
Lord, Help Me Be Kind When I Don’t Want To!
Years ago, while helping to lead a children’s outreach with Youth With a Mission, I learned a children’s chorus based on Ephesians 4:31-32 (KJV). “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, […]
The Dark Side of YouTube
There is a dark side to social media, especially on YouTube and TikTok. A toxic culture arises when the creator and viewer feed off each other. If a creator has a leaning toward narcissistic behaviour, they will give their followers a false impression that they are in their inner circle, that somehow they made it […]
But Jesus Remained Silent
Isaiah 53:7 – “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” As the middle child in a family with five children, I had my fair […]
Is it a Prayer Meeting or a Kitten Round-up
Lori eagerly arranged her notes as she walked into the weekly prayer meeting a few minutes early. Stationing herself by the only entrance, she greeted each attendee with a copy of her prayer list and a smile. “No need to thank me. This way, you won’t forget my requests. Please take particular note of those […]