In Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge begins with a humbug attitude toward Christmas, too disinterested and miserly to invest in even a small contribution to the holiday cheer. His attitude threatens to ruin Christmas. By the end of the story, a fresh generosity overcomes his scroogie-ness, and Christmas is saved. Yay! The same kind of thing happens in The Gift of the Magi. A...
Raising children can feel overwhelming as you try to navigate the many voices telling you what to do and not to do, but God has already given you everything you need to be faithful parents. In Reaching Your Child’s Heart: A Practical Guide to Faithful Parenting, Juan and Jeanine Sanchez encourage parents from their gospel-shaped perspective that children don’t need perfect parents—they need a...
The Bible is filled with reminders to “remember.” Yet, have you noticed how many times God’s people get themselves in deep trouble because they forget? Throughout the Old Testament we see the disastrous effects of God’s people failing to remember the great works of the Lord. Read through almost any part of Israel’s story and you will see a direct link between forgetfulness and...
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The Starbucks cups have changed, Christmas carols are playing on the radio, and twinkling lights brighten the long, cold nights. This season brings joy, hope, and anticipation. But for many, it also brings a season of longing. Recently, my youngest son carefully curated his Christmas list, his childlike excitement building as he anticipated the gifts...
Children love a good story, and there is power in telling a story to captivate their attention. Jesus understood the captivating nature of a good story. Early in his ministry the crowds gathered to hear Jesus. Matthew recounts those early days as the introduction to the parable (story) of the sower: “Great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd...
