In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan reveals what is good about Friday - “It means,” said Aslan, “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”
Jesus was very aware that not all the people listening to His teaching had the capacity to hear what He was saying, or see what He was pointing to. But the miracles they witnessed! From the first recorded miracle of His turning water to wine, to His resurrection and ascension, it became clear that He was Who He said He was.
Have your kids ever been scared of the dark? Did you put a night-light of some kind in their room to provide a degree of comfort? We certainly did. It is amazing how just a little bit of light in a dark room can provide a child enough peace of mind to settle down for a good night’s rest.
As kids get older, the darkness that impedes their peace and rest requires more than a night light. It calls for ...read on
Jesus spoke often in parables that would point to Himself, to His Father and to His mission. In turn, His disciples would ask Him to explain the parable. It seems it was in these intimate discussions around parables that the disciples began to “get” Jesus and His mission in this world.
During the Lenten season, many churches encourage fasting, all are to give something up. I like to encourage dads to ...read on
Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, has been blessed with a history of great revivals since 1905. There have been several occasions when significant moves of the Holy Spirit have swept the campus and reached across the nation. One such occasion was in February, 1950, when a student testimony led to confessions, victories and more testimonies. This went on uninterrupted for 118 hours and became the second leading news story nationwide.
How often do you have family conversations that bring biblical views into the dialogue? In the book, Revolutionary Parenting, George Barna writes that, “This practice is certainly an aberration, even among families in which one or both parents are born-again Christians.”
The Lenten season, the 40 days leading up to the most important day in our Christian faith, Easter, provides a great opportunity to ...read on
Dads of grown children know the significance of relationships in the life of a child as he or she matures, and the necessity of clear boundaries at every stage. The message to younger dads is that it starts early in the immediate family. As a husband and wife mature into dad and mom in front of the child, their example from the get-go provides the foundation the child will reference throughout life.
During the second ten years of a child’s life, siblings, extended family and neighborhood friends will offer new ...read on
There are New Year resolutions, and there is resolve. What is the difference? A resolution is typically a specific, short-term action that can be checked off as done. A parallel can be made to a religious activity, something you do. To resolve is a commitment to a long-term effort to grow or improve. Here, the parallel is to a relationship, something you are growing in or becoming.
These last several weeks, a father’s resolve to ...read on
Some studies out there suggest that the cost to raise a child from birth to 17 is around $300K. It is no wonder that dads and moms can get overwhelmed with providing financially for the family. Of course, raising a child is not a cost but an investment. As dads and moms invest well, the return is priceless.
Investing well, be it financial or relational, takes ...read on
We typically spend twelve years in primary and secondary education to study the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic and history. After that there are vocational, military and higher education opportunities to continue programs or studies. The focus for the most part is to help prepare one to be a productive citizen.
Preparation for marriage and parenting is ...read on