Christian Living

Remembering a Nearly-Forgotten Founder
September 27 is the birthday of one of the nearly-forgotten Founding Fathers, Samuel Adams. His cousin John Adams became George Washington's vice president and then his successor; Samuel is known for a modern beer brand. In fact, this founder of the Sons of Liberty and eventual governor of Massachusetts was actually a political activist and an intellectual…
Do You Need a Glass of Wine
Do You Need a Glass of Wine?
I get it. I really do. I have more than my share of awful days. Like when we speak 15 times in three days (for an hour each time!) and stand at the booth in between sessions, counseling and praying with folks, all of which we love, but are exhausting. Then we pack out our…
How My Old Band Director Influences My Family Life Today
Sometimes you get a life-changing lesson from an unexpected source. My 8th-grade band director taught me something really important about relationships. Last week, my old band director passed away. Pat Wylie (it’s still hard to think of him by his first name) was a major part of my young life, for two years in middle…
Talking to Kids About Disasters
  The news is full of alarming stories - hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and more - and it's nearly impossible to shield our kids from hearing about it. How do you help your children understand natural disasters and bad news with concern but not panic? Do you talk with your teenagers differently than your young kids?…
Hard Conversations
Hal had a friend in college that he’d known for many years. Like good friends do, they shared a lot of interests, opinions, and experiences in common. Yet an unexpected break happened – the friend made some lifestyle changes that Hal was uncomfortable about. At the time, they seemed like a really big deal, and…
Kids and Phones – Smart or Not?
We recently passed a huge cultural milestone – ten years ago, Apple introduced the iPhone, and our whole culture changed. The Pew Research Center reports that almost four out of five American adults own a smart phone and nearly three-fourths of teenagers have one of their own. Is this a good thing, or not? We’ve decided…
Our Family Gets Bigger This Month!
  We're over-the-top delighted to announce that our family will be growing this month when our son Matthew exchanges vows with his college sweetheart Camille! Camille is a strong believer and a talented, sweet-spirited young woman from Nicholasville, Kentucky. She's a graduate of Berea College where she and Matthew met. They'll be moving to Chapel…
Surviving the Breaks with Your College Students
Friends often ask us something like this, "Why can't I get along with my adult kids when they come home from college? They are really great people, but it seems like when they are here on break they become rude, sassy, lazy boogers. Help!" We get it. Just a couple of months ago during the…
She Said, “I Won’t Let my Daughter Marry a Guy Who Has Ever Seen Porn!”
Be sure you ask the right questions – and set the right expectations Our friend was adamant. “I would never allow my daughter to marry a guy who has looked at porn.” She’s right to be concerned. It’s a sin and affront to God to look at pornography. It causes physical changes in the user’s…
Lovebirdseed
Weekly Fun for Your Marriage
  The Bible speaks about marriage as a partnership, like two horses pulling in harness together. It's a good image of shared purpose and common goals - but we need to be sure we spend time face-to-face as well as shoulder-to-shoulder! Isn't it time to really look at one another and think about yourselves as…