American Pride

By Gina Stinson –

One of the greatest blessings of my life has been to live in America. Regardless of how I feel about the government, its officials, taxes, or the economy, there is still no other country on earth where I’d rather have my citizenship. Read more

Joy in God’s Simple Pleasures

With the events in the news recently of a prominent celebrity and his many indiscretions, I am reminded of how wealth, power and prestige do not bring happiness. The emptiness of a life without God is evident in the lives of those on a continuous search for fulfillment and pleasure. One would think that having it all would make you happy, but without a relationship with Christ, there will be emptiness of soul and a longing for something more. Read more

Definition of Success

Recently a friend asked me, “Peter, what’s your definition of success? How many books do you have to sell? How much do you have to achieve?” I didn’t have an answer.

A week later, an acquisitions editor who had loved my book proposal and wanted to publish it wrote back and said the publications board thought my previous book sales weren’t high enough to go forward with another one. It was like a sucker punch to my gut. I learned that the whole publishing industry is pulling back. The recession and digitalization are leaving many publishers scared and only working with those who can guarantee big sales. I’m left on the outside. Read more

Unforgiveness in the Church

As a pastor, I am deeply concerned for the church. Research tell us that pastors are being forced from their positions in increasing numbers each year, which means an increasing number of churches are going through conflict. I believe the majority of the time the conflict that leads to a pastor’s departure is a consequence of unforgiveness. Read more

Summertime

Little Johnny tossed a water balloon at Billy. A normal reaction from the teacher would be to reprimand Johnny, but this was not a normal day. Miss Jones cheered from the sidelines. Billy fell to the ground with laughter. The boys high-fived each other, and the next team lined up to enjoy this fun in the sun. Outdoor activities are common end-of-school-year events. Kids begin to daydream and plan what they will do for the summer. They are antsy during regular teacher sessions. Aware of this, teachers plan field trips and outdoor activities. Read more

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