Refreshing Faith
Tax season incites grumbling, from weary accountants and taxpayers alike, especially when we don’t agree with how our taxes are used or we feel the amount is exorbitant. Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling.” All things—including paying taxes?
As a Christian that means I shouldn’t gripe about taxes. But that hasn’t stopped my complaints when we had to pay more than expected. Maybe, like me, you could benefit from a fresh look at taxes.Continue Reading
I asked my special friend Dottie Stam to share a story with you that she told at Bible study. Her comical retelling of what could have been a tragic incident with her standard poodle will entertain and challenge you. Now, here’s Dottie.Continue Reading
As I pulled into the grocery store, my first-grader said, “Mom, why is it so hard to be good?”
Wow, I thought. My young son grasped what many adults miss: good desires alone aren’t enough to make us good.
Unlike Brant, I grew up thinking I was basically good because I wanted to be good. It wasn’t until after I became a Christian in middle school that I recognized how often I failed to follow through on my good intentions.
I have an impatient bent. Every night before bed, in high school, I promised myself that tomorrow would be better. I vowed to reign in my temper. And every day I failed. When I read Paul’s struggle in Romans 7, I knew He was describing me.Continue Reading
My friends sat on the front porch steps of the little house my husband and I had just purchased. Instead of celebrating with us, their body language and words showed they thought we’d lost our minds. Obviously, they couldn’t see the potential we saw.
After my husband and I moved to Southern California I discovered I was pregnant. Our apartment complex didn’t allow children. As the pregnancy progressed, we began our search for a house with a yard for our budding family.
At the time, Orange County was the highest priced housing market in the nation. We’d left the Midwest where three times the house sold for a quarter of the price of these homes. So, we were thrilled when we found an 800 square foot, 60-year-old arts and crafts bungalow in a respectable neighborhood we could afford.
The house had previously been occupied by a pot-smoking motorcycle gang. The dark-paneled living room served as a garage for their bikes.Continue Reading