Challenges for Rural America
I just found an article that really stood out to me: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rural-Brain-Drain/48425/.  It talks about the struggles small towns and rural areas are facing as many young people leave for college and jobs in urban areas.  After growing up in a town of 1,000 people, part of my heart will always be in rural Nebraska and areas like it worldwide.  In many ways I would love to go back, though its hard when there are so few opportunities in small towns.  I do hope that more awareness will spread about the needs and value of rural areas, and that mutually-beneficial con

(Part 2) To Suffer with Purpose
Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). I think many Christians do too little of both true mourning and true rejoicing. In Luke 6 Jesus gives an invective against those who laugh now, those who begin by seeking shallow pleasure in this world. In contrast, he calls us to live sacrificially, to share in his sufferings and so share in his triumph. Suffering is not about feeling sorry for ourselves. In his own sufferings Jesus was not a passive victim, though he does teach us how to respond graciously to the wicked behavior of others whom we cannot control. Jesus gave of himself as part of a his mission to actively engage a fallen world, to

Looking at Suffering, Part 1
Like most Christians, I’ve heard a lot of talk about suffering: why God allows it, how God can use it in our lives, how to stay strong through it. Personally, I’ve often struggled with such discussions in our American churches. Just exactly what kind of suffering are we talking about? It seems we generally refer to health problems, financial difficulties, and relationship issues—pains that are simply part of living in this world. Yet when we look at the early believers in Scripture, most of what we know they were taught about enduring trials deals with the persecution and opposition they encountered as a result of their faith and testimony. For Americans, ther

Praying for Terrorists
I just found out about an amazing site called Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer: http://atfp.aatfp.org/.  There are some insightful articles about terrorism and spiritual warfare, along with biographies of individuals involved in terrorism whom “adopters” can commit to pray for. Christians need to remember that the greatest victory lies in redemption and reconciliation! Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.  Isaiah 59:1

Human Torches
The hero is the one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light. ~Felix Adler My mom recently told me  about hearing an interview with a young man who had converted to Islam.  This man was enthusiastic about how Islam gave him a sense of purpose and meaning he had never had before.  This is not an isolated case: people from all different backgrounds are being attracted to what they perceive as a dedicated, disciplined, passionate life as a Muslim.  I started thinking about how much we hear in our c