Dwight L. Moody was an American evangelist and publisher, who lived in the 19th century. Among other institutions, Moody founded the renowned Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers, both still in existence today. He was known for his piercing and passionate sermons and for leading highly popular revival tours in Great Britain and the U.S. In one of his publications, titled “Moody’s Anecdotes,” he wrote a provocative story about a picture exhibited in a gallery in London. From a distance, Continue Reading
Friendship & Envy – The Pinnacle of Contradiction {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
It seems as if my daughters’ social experiences this year have offered ample opportunities to learn about various facets of friendship. It’s been a blessing sharing my experience and struggles with them, and watch as they make wise decisions, while learning key principles one must know in order to better evaluate a person’s character. Several weeks ago, I wrote a column about how true friendships are tested in times of trouble. Later that week I ran across an amusing quote from an unknown Continue Reading
Grace to the Unlikely {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
I recently came across an illustration about patience and long-suffering that gave me great pause. According to a supposedly traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when a weary old traveler walked by. The old man looked tired and hungry from a long journey. Abraham rushed out to help the stranger, inviting him into his tent. There he washed the man’s feet and gave him food and drink. Without hesitation, the old traveler began eating his food before Continue Reading
Strive to Be Wise With Money {Atlanta Journal Constitution Column}
According to the most recent data from the Survey of Consumer Finances by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the credit card debt of American households is approximately $5,700. When a financial institute performed a research study earlier this year to determine the average debt of households that did not pay their balance in full on a monthly basis, the numbers were even more staggering. The average credit card debt for those households increased to an average of $16,048. College debt is another Continue Reading
Recognize When Your Faith Is Flawed {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
When I was in the process of writing my first book, I signed up to attend a writer’s conference, where I would meet with publishers to present my book proposal. After presenting my book idea to the first two publishers, neither requested a copy of the proposal that I had worked so hard to put together. After those two first appointments, discouragement started to weigh me down. That’s when I decided to retreat to the conference’s prayer room. In the darkness and silence of that room, a Continue Reading
God’s Boundaries for Our Trials {Atlanta Journal Constitution Column}
I aimed my phone camera at my feet, and snapped the picture at the moment the first wave touched my toes. I stood there for a moment, shivering as another wave brought the icy waters all the way to my heels. I moved the camera and took another picture, this time, showing the perfect border that the foam of a new wave created on the wet sand. The boundaries of the ocean. I closed my eyes, saying a prayer of thanksgiving, as I remembered a verse in the book of Proverbs that talks about the Continue Reading
