On December 15th, we had an accident. My husband tripped over the gate we use to keep our dogs from coming up the stairs. He was holding our nearly three-month-old daughter. She fell, swaddled, from his height--he’s not a short man--and landed on the side of her head/face at the top of the stairs. I…
‘1917’ Movie: A Message Worth Dying For (No Spoilers)
This past week I went to see ‘1917,’ a movie I would highly recommend to anyone who, like me, is fascinated by the history of the First World War. The film follows two British soldiers on a mission to deliver a life-saving message to a battalion walking into a German trap. They must travel across…
The False Religion of Yogi Tea
In case you needed yet another reason to believe that our culture is vapidly self-absorbed, look no further than the tea tags of Yogi Tea. Trust me. I’ve been collecting them over the past week, shaking my head at the absurdity of the messaging. It’s not enough that this mentality of “I’m not religious, I’m…
You Don’t Understand Frost’s Poem, “The Road Not Taken”
Chances are you’ve heard the oft-repeated last lines of Frost’s famous poem, “The Road Not Taken.” Maybe you’ve repeated those words as a life motto or a boost to morale in the midst of a pivotal life change. Perhaps you’ve even internalized them as a New Year’s resolution of sorts, a reminder to live off-the-beaten…
10 Family Friendly Ways to Put “Christ” Back in Christmas
Traditions have a deeper hold on us than we realize, and at no other time of year than Christmas is this truth more prevalent or more easily recognizable. Christmas is first and foremost about the birth of our Lord and Savior. As Christians, this is a truth we affirm wholeheartedly in principle but too often…
Here’s Why You Need a Biblical Theology of Suffering
Throughout the course of history, the question of suffering has been at the forefront of philosophy. Why do we suffer? Why disease, famine, and death? Why rape and murder? Why me? I don’t think I go too far in saying that our perspective on suffering is intimately tied to our understanding of God.
The Pelagianism of Cherubs
You know those cherub figurines? The chubby cheeks and perfectly tousled hair, chins resting thoughtfully in palms, newly sprouted wings, angelic eyes aglow? Harmless, right? But what if I told you there was a sinister heresy behind those winsome smiles, a dark theology imbedded in the lure of baby fat? "Two Cherubs" by Raffaello Sanzio…
Israel: Whose Land is it Anyway?
If you’re a Christian living in the United States, you have certainly witnessed the politicking surrounding the nation of Israel. It’s likely your pastor has even thrown his hat in the ring, particularly if you attend a church with a premillennial dispensational eschatology. In fact, American evangelicalism is so tied to the Promised Land that…
The Inconvenient Truth About Christianity
Growing up Southern Baptist, I learned at an early age that God wanted to give me stuff. It was simple. All I had to do was name it and claim it and have faith that God would do his part. For the first half of my “Christian” life, this is how I treated our Lord…
Protecting the Gospel in Pro-Life Ministry
Pro-life organizations are notorious for their association with the Roman Catholic church. Look no further than the recent popularity of Unplanned, a movie about Abby Johnson’s experience as the former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic and her transition into pro-life ministry. Abby Johnson is not only the new darling of the pro-life movement; she…
