By Cary Umhau Each heart knows its own bitterness and no one else can share its joy, says Proverbs 14:10. Just as Jesus asked his compatriots to stay awake with him in the Garden of Gethsemane and they didnt/couldnt/wouldnt, we humans stink at being there for the long haul with each other. And we stink-stank-stunk … Continue reading Heroes and Cheerleaders: An Environment of Celebration
By Kevin Bowman It was my first Sunday in the bigger kids class. Our family had returned from three years in Europe just in time for me to be promoted the big kids class. We had been back in the US long enough to choose a church, and I had made a couple friends already, … Continue reading God’s Multiple Personalities
By Jamie Finch We must not underestimate the weight of the importance to “know how it feels.” Without Jesus’ own desire for such, we would be at an eternal loss. The funny thing is though, that in our pursuit of Him we often times miss this essential component of becoming like Him. To suffer His … Continue reading Poem: The Sorrow
By Jeni Griffin “Oh my gosh, these are amazing!” I exclaimed as my mom gasped at me in horror. After being in Africa for a year serving with Mercy Ships where the humidity is constantly 80-90% or more, stale nacho chips were a norm, so the bag of semi-stale chips seemed fantastic to me! For … Continue reading Many Blessings: Satisfaction after starvation
By Karen Swank I remember the first day I met her. She was in junior high. I was subbing and she was a handful in my class. Acting up, acting out, and just generally making her presence known. I’d been at this long enough by then that kids like her were secretly my favorites. Some … Continue reading Today, I Will Love
By Joe Gomez I made an old woman cry the other day, and it was great. Last Friday, one of my coworkers and I were in the back room at Borders where we unpack shipments and load the carts for shelving. We talked about how since there was only a short amount of time left … Continue reading Kindness to Strangers: Getting to the Source
By Jeff Goins, Editor I was at the mall this weekend, shopping with my wife. I noticed that, as I was going from store to store, feeling insecure about my un-trendiness, that Santa Claus was already taking pictures with the little ones. My wife and I argued about whether or not it was the “real” … Continue reading Holiday Cheer: What Songs Are You Singing?
By Matt Kok Is the “Little C” Church perfect? By no means. And it never has been. The belief that the institutionalized church in North America is hypocritical, dogmatic, out of touch, and no longer authentic is a broad statement. Perhaps a better way to look at it is this: There are some churches in … Continue reading Little C Church
By Kevin D. Hendricks Ive never been homeless. Ive never had to wonder where I was going to spend the night. Ive never had to contemplate sleeping in my car. Ive never had to consider who I would call if I lost my house and had nowhere to go. Ive never had to consider how … Continue reading Homeless For A Night
By Tim Kurek There are few people I’ve met in my life that capture what it means to be a CHRISTian as much as Jim Palmer, and it’s my hope that you’ll go pick up both Divine Nobodies & Wide Open Spaces. Jim’s background includes pastoral ministry, inner-city service, and international human rights work. As … Continue reading Jim Palmer: Interview with A Divine Nobody