“Are you kidding me?” We don’t know Mary’s exact words when she learned she’d have to transport her highly pregnant body some 70 miles or more from Nazareth to Bethlehem, but it’s safe to assume neither she nor Joseph cherished the thought. After “volunteering” to bring the Jewish Messiah into the world, the soon-to-be parents […]
I can envision the scenario: Facing relentless pressure from some evangelical Christians, Starbucks decides to abandon its minimalist red cup Christmas design. Soon, happy little images of dancing snowflakes, smiling Santas, and ornamented trees revive the “true spirit” of Christmas. Employees and patrons are overwhelmed. One customer—upon receiving his Christmas Cookie Frappuccino (with an added […]
The King of Glory came to earth apart from the religious establishment, born in a stable filled with manure and overrun by flies. Angels announced His birth to a group of lowly shepherds who likely smelled as bad as the animals they herded. For thirty years, the Son of God dwelt in obscurity in the […]
There was a news report the other day of police officers in Kansas City pulling people over to give them money from a secret Santa. The emotions rendered by the story were the exact opposite of those being expressed all over the U.S. in protests against police brutality. Those who had their attentions “arrested” went […]
Grace is so integral to the Christian faith that people can sometimes fail to realize that the general concept is not unique to Christianity. In ancient secular Greek writings, the word charis essentially meant “that which delights.”[1] In this sense, grace could mean “a gift given” or “a favor done,” as well as “a sense […]
Everyone loves gifts and this Christmas season, SfMe Media will be giving away 3 free paperback copies of our book, Champions in the Wilderness, through a Goodreads.com contest. You can enter your name into the drawing by clicking on the button below. The contest won’t last long so be sure to enter before Christmas Eve! […]
Most of us know the feeling. So much to do and so little time to do it. So many needs and expectations to meet. So many things that we feel we should be doing but can’t seem to get to. The result is a cumulative sense of anxiety—if not dread—that can make even crawling out […]
There is something about Easter that sets it apart as one of the most significant holidays to celebrate. Thanksgiving and Christmas rank right up there, of course, but aside from peanut butter eggs and sugary peeps, Resurrection Sunday continues to be one of the most meaningful days on the calendar. One thing that I especially […]
Once again the liberal/conservative battle lines have been drawn. Adamant about the need for gun control, many liberals seem to believe that banning all gun ownership would lead to a peaceful and happy society. On the other side of the front, a lot of conservatives give the impression that if every American packed, violence would […]
It has been several days since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and I am still struggling to process the reality of such a horrible event. Other mass shootings in recent years have scarred communities, but this one has left deep and lasting scars for our entire nation. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 had […]
