Coming Out Manly

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Men coming out of the closet is business as usual. But pro athletes coming out of the locker room are another matter, one that’s making ripples and headlines everywhere.  As of this writing, at least one unnamed but presumably well-known professional player, from one of the four major sports, is about to drop the “I’m Gay” bomb. The National Hockey League, in anticipation of the big event, now officially offers its support to gay Americans in general and gay athletes in particular. Not to be outdone, the National Football League has Continue Reading

The Feminine Mistake

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Every Tuesday we’ll post something to do with strengthening marriages. Hope it helps. — The Feminine Mistake This year marks the 50th anniversary of Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking The Feminine Mystique  a landmark book which shaped and propelled the modern feminist movement. Today some of Friedan’s ideas would seem pretty tame, even to social conservatives like myself who see nothing wrong with women working, or opting not to marry, or choosing and pursuing careers. Nor have I ever found the idea of equal pay to be anything but Continue Reading

Scars: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King with Resilience

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“For the victory to be won some of us will have to get scarred a bit.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To admire is not to idealize, nor is it to be blinded to obvious flaws. So yes, I’ve read about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s alleged infidelities, and the evidence supporting the allegations is, alas, pretty solid.  Also, his political views probably tilted further left than he publicly acknowledged so no, I don’t assume everything he said was right, much less inspired. (I am in fact in disagreement with him on some points, Continue Reading

Random Ramblings #47: A Tale of Two Pastors

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Every Friday we’ll leave the topic oriented post, and instead post some personal comments. — That whoosh you’re hearing is the sound of the world spinning around you as it continues going upside down. Listen to the news and you can’t help but hear it. Today’s reminder concerns Pastor Luis Giglio, an accomplished and widely regarded minister who was scheduled to deliver President Obama’s benediction during his inaugural ceremony. Scheduled, as in past tense, because it recently came to light that a decade ago the reverend Continue Reading

Christians and Crisis

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Every Wednesday we’ll post something to do with doctrine and recovery. Hope it helps. — Christians and Crisis When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters – one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. - John F. Kennedy Crisis is an overused word. Family crisis, financial crisis, emotional crisis, nothing-to-wear crisis — its force gets watered down when it’s heard too often. If your name’s out there on mailing lists, I’ll bet you receive any number of letters from Continue Reading

The Other Bond

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Every Tuesday we’ll post something to do with restoring marriages. Hope it helps. — The Other Bond Adultery is trending. Anna Karenina opened in movie theaters last week, updating one of literature’s most renowned extra marital affairs. Liz and Dick, the Lifetime Channel’s biopic on the notorious Taylor/Burton relationship which began with infidelity and became a national obsession, aired Sunday night. And, of course, we’re still sorting out the confusing, tangled elements of the Petraeus scandal. So the act of straying Continue Reading

Relevance or Revision?

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Ten years ago I wrote this for a local church that was challenged by its own denomination’s wavering on homosexuality. Since this church refused to accept the denomination’s drift towards a pro-homosexual position, it was being accused by many of being “irrelevant.”  I wrote this for them in response to that charge, and running across it today, I decided to dust it off and pass it on again. Hope it’s useful. --- RELEVANCE OR REVISION? Are Christians called to re-write the Bible in order to truly love our gay friends and Continue Reading

Trembling

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“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” - Thomas Jefferson Divided as ever, Americans are mourning and celebrating the same event at the same time.  That’s business as usual for an election year, but this one carries weight both sides sense but, for now, can’t fully appreciate. Barack Obama will serve a second term, during which he’ll manifest a starker, bolder vision for the country, implementing it vigorously and protecting it with policies and Supreme Court Continue Reading

The Best, Not the Most

Cher in "Moonstruck"

Every Monday we’ll post something to do with maintaining sexual purity. Hope it helps. — The Best, Not the Most “So maybe my nature does draw me to you. That doesn’t mean I have to go with it. I can say yes to some things, and no to some things that are gonna ruin everything. I can do that. Otherwise, you know, what good is this life God gave us?” -from the film “Moonstruck” In the story cited above, an engaged woman has fallen in love with her fiancé’s brother. Realizing the wrongness of pursuing a relationship Continue Reading

Ten Tips for Maintaining Sexual Integrity

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Every Monday we’ll post something to do with maintaining sexual purity. Hope it helps. — Some time ago I wrote this in response to the question of what steps a man should take to “keep it clean.” Considering the amount of stimulation and temptation we’re confronted with daily, common sense tells us to be, and stay, prepared. Here are ten ways we can help make that happen. Ten Tips for Maintaining Sexual Integrity Tip 1: GET REAL Recognize that sexual temptation is unavoidable in our sex-obsessed culture. Erotic images on Continue Reading