How has God changed you through the cross of Christ, the Word of God, and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit? This is your story. I asked you this question recently, and then began to tell you part of my story that relates to the character qualities of self-control, obedience, surrender, and love. I’ll pick up where I left off last time.
Saying YES to God
Categories: Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Tags: character development, love, self-control, Spirit-control
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Saying NO to God
I have to smile when I think of how impressed some of my high school students were that I had waited so long to get married. When they saw the guy I was marrying, the girls were really impressed. Wow! Waiting is worth it! To young people ages 14-18, we were so old — meeting at age 24 and marrying at age 26! And I must admit that I thought I had waited pretty long too.
Now, I’m still holding you in suspense! Continue reading
Swirling Stories within His Story
We were 24 years old when we met. Up until then, we had lived in different parts of the continent. He had never been to my region in his life, and I had never been to his. How did we ever meet? Thus starts our story. Continue reading
Categories: Being Like Jesus, Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Tags: Character, self-control, Stories
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Like the Box Top Picture on a 5000 Piece Puzzle
Sokvannara (Sy) Sar, as described in the last post, gives us a picture through his life of what humility, self-control, perseverance, kindness, and respect look like. Wow! Nothing much is more powerful than Continue reading
Categories: Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Tags: Character, heritage, Life example, Puzzle box
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Winston Churchill, Sokvannara Sar, and Me?
How would you respond if someone spoke the following words to you? ” Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Continue reading
Categories: Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Tags: Character, Dancing Across Borders, perseverance, Sokvannara Sar, Winston Churchill
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Weighing Honor
How is respect or honor a form of love? I left you with this question in our last post. We could go in many directions here, so I’ve chosen a few strands that at first may not seem related, but I think you’ll agree with me that they are multicolored threads woven into the same blanket. Let me take you to a nursery rhyme. Yes, many children’s rhymes are for adults. Continue reading
Categories: Being Like Jesus, Spiritual Growth
Tags: Character, honor, love, spiritual growth, Three Blind Mice
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Honoring Ways
Whatever does it mean to honor your mother and father? Or to honor God? Or to honor others? This character quality is on Troy Christian School’s 5th grade character focus list, but of course, it’s for everyone. Our students learn that honor is “showing deep Continue reading
Categories: Being Like Jesus, Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Tags: Character, honor, love, spiritual growth
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Within My Wardrobe
Within the wardrobe of my heart, I can be close to God. Over time He changes me, transforming me to be more like Jesus. In my last post, I wrote of Lucy and the Wardrobe she entered that changed her life. We read Rev. 3:20 in which Jesus invites Himself into our inner world to live with us. I also introduced you to Ruth Myers little prayer book.* Here is her “most basic act of worship” prayer: Continue reading
Categories: Being Like Jesus, Parenting, Spiritual Growth
Tags: C.S. Lewis, prayer, Ruth Myers, spiritual growth, worship
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The Other Side of the Door
You remember that Lucy thought it would be worthwhile (though her siblings did not) to try the door of the big wardrobe which was in an otherwise empty room in the professor’s sprawling country residence in England. I’m referring to C.S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The four children were exploring the house on a rainy day. However, it was Lucy’s sense that the wardrobe was worthy of exploration that changed her life as well as her sibling’s lives. Young Lucy was given wonder-filled uncommon sense. Continue reading
Categories: Spiritual Growth
Tags: C.S. Lewis, Character, prayer, Ruth Myers, soul, spiritual growth, wisdom
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Via Dolorosa: The Way of Christ’s Suffering
It’s Good Friday. Good for us. Amazing suffering for Christ. This is a time to be quiet and reflect, to be utterly thankful, to return our love to the One so completely loving. Read these words to this hauntingly beautiful ballad about our Savior.
Down the Vía Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see Continue reading
Categories: Spiritual Growth
Tags: Christ's death, Christian growth, Jesus' suffering, salvation through Jesus, Via Dolorosa
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Journey North Character 