Blogs

How Your Church Can Respond to the Loneliness Epidemic
“Western community is in sharp decline, and radical individualism has become the functional status for even the most devoted churchgoers. This radical individualism has engendered unprecedented social isolation and yielded a depth of loneliness unique to 21st-century American culture.”

How to Stop Saying “Um,” “Ah,” and “You Know”
“Used sparingly and effectively, filler words can make you more relatable to your audience, give you time to catch your breath, and emphasize key points. That’s why Google built fillers into the latest version of its AI assistant, Duplex. But when they become crutch words, used out of nervousness or lack of preparation, they hurt your credibility. As you prepare for your next presentation, identify the words you lean on most, and train yourself to avoid them. Then, next time you’re in front of an audience, use silence to gather your thoughts, rather than filling the air with sound.”

10 Ways to Comfort a Grieving Person
“Over the years since I experienced the death of my daughter, Hope, and my son, Gabriel, I’ve interacted with grieving people, especially through the Respite Retreats my husband and I host for couples who have lost children—and have identified a number of key ways to minister to grieving people:”

A tale of two confessions
“In the past month, two prominent pastors have had their private sins publicly exposed: Bill Hybels and Art Azurdia—one nationally known and whose fall was front page news, the other known only inside of evangelical circles and his fall reported largely on social media. Both demonstrated conduct contrary to the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3, conduct that disqualifies them from being elders. Both committed adultery, and the fall of both men will obviously bring shame on the name of Christ. But there is one huge contrast between these two situations—namely, how their respective churches responded. ”

For the Long Days
“My personal struggle with faith and pain is embedded with my depressive disorder, but the way scripture speaks to my issue speaks to issues we all struggle with. What do we do when the days seem long and the nights feel like they will never end? When life is painful, death has taken those we love, and we are grieved to our bones, what does that say about God’s love toward us? Or, better yet, is this the way it is because I lack enough faith? By God’s grace scripture has swooned my heart and helped me grieve faithfully”

Living Under Authority
Here’s a good article if you find yourself bristling against authority in your life.

Book Review: Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism | ERLC
“I found Uniquely Human by Dr. Barry Prizant to be the rare book about autism that helped lift the weight of my anxiety, counterbalancing fear with the forces of understanding, insight, and encouragement—all powerful and underrated forces, might I add.”