“Can I call you Mama?” I asked as my aunt reached for my hand. I was seven and spending part of my  summer with my mother’s only sister. She had lived with us when I was very young while her new husband was overseas. She entertained me with songs like “The cannibal king with the big nose ring…” and “I went to the animal fair.” We shared so many laughs together. As a teen, I thought Aunt Jane would never grow old. I was convinced that her zest for life would stop time. For a while it seemed to work, but tragically, her mind hasn’t cooperated.

On her last visit to our home, the only items that she recognized were things that once belonged to my grandmother, her mother. After she left I watched a video of her visit two years prior and cried at the difference. (Read More)

What can compare with the miracle of a new baby? Holding your child for the first time creates an incomparable bond. I remember being surprised by the fierce protective love I felt for this little person I hardly knew.

Imagine holding your new son knowing that your king had commanded the destruction of all baby boys from your race. The Hebrews in ancient Egypt faced this when Pharaoh commanded the Egyptians to toss the Hebrew male infants to the crocodiles (Exodus 1:22 NIV). I wonder if he remembered all the baby boys he had ordered killed when the tenth plague took his own son? Did a child’s life suddenly become precious?

How valuable is human life? Does your answer change according to whose life we mean? (Read More)

Who are the blamers in your life? Blamers are great travel agents for guilt trips. They skillfully cast blame on others either by direct statements or through their innuendoes. This sends the recipient into a state of agitation or discouragement. Even when they are unaware of what they are doing, blamers present a real problem for those they affect.

The greatest commandments are to love God and others; including blamers. Protecting ourselves from situations that put invalid judgements upon us enhances our ability to love (1 Corinthians 4:1-4; Galatians 1:10, 5:1).

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Every Fourth of July we Americans celebrate our independence from England. Yet, we all know that signing the Declaration of Independence did not ensure America’s freedom. The Revolutionary War had to be fought before we were independent from the tyranny of King George III. To preserve her blood-bought liberty, America must guard her freedom from her enemies within and without. Similarly, Christians must diligently protect the freedom we gained through Christ’s shed blood.

To help celebrate and protect our freedom in Christ, consider these questions. (Read More)