Your Custom Text Here
A smile lit Dr. Alan Parker's face but his tone of voice carried a more serious edge. "We have to make sure people feel welcomed. On opening night, it's important that you don't speak in Adventist lingo and that you make it as comfortable as possible for visitors. Tell the church members—specially the greeters and/or hosts."
He's chuckling now as he gets away from his slides and closer to us. "Please. Avoid 'Happy Sabbath' as the generic hello. Visitors have no idea what that means."
Read more
My upbringing is very mixed. Equal parts liberal and equal parts conservative, I have a confusing and at times contradictory worldview that is all too millennial in nature.
Something that I can't quite figure out at the moment is how to appreciate things as they are while pursuing greater degrees of wholesomeness. It is a Christian thing to be grateful; the Father gives good gifts and I live a fantastic life.
But it is also a Christian thing to do to strive for more wholesomeness
Read more
The only way to emotional health is to be liberal with forgiveness. Whether intentionally or incidentally, we humans are very good at hurting one another and creating the need for forgiveness and reconciliation. After going through certain heartbreaks the last few years because of bitterness, hatred, and an unwillingness to reconcile relationships, it has become my motto to forgive and to reconcile as much as my God thinks I can. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Forgiveness can only happen specifically. It is impossible to forgive nebulous or unclear actions; a lack of clarity encourages bitterness because forgiveness requires identifying ways in which someone hurt you & saying, I won't punish you. I'll embrace the pain and won't take vengeance.
Read more
Photo by Suzanne Ocsai
Everyone says to trust. Everyone says to believe. Everyone says to have faith. You have those instances where it falls apart or it doesn’t go as planned or it simply just doesn’t line up the way it was supposed to.
Or perhaps he disappoints, or she leaves, or there is a sudden and unplanned separation…death perhaps.
Finances get messy.
Emotions kill you.
Or your own body and mind work against you.
Read more
I am seated in the front seat of a car that stands out as luxurious in the midst of the carcachitas and motocicletas of Cartagena, Colombia. My friends, Sasha Andrade and Edgar de Leon sit in the back; my pastor, Libardo Cuesta, makes small talk and explains to us where we are at in the evangelistic process.
I smile and try to sneak a photo through the car window. I can't believe I'm in Cartagena. I silently thank Jacqueline whose spot I replaced. I had forgotten how much I loved evangelism. I had forgotten how much I missed the grunt work of interpersonal ministry and preaching.
Read more