Category: Encouragements and Exhortations
God Bless America: A Response to Secularism in France
I expected France to more like America than it is. Both are Western countries, both have democratic governments and both are committed to religious freedom. So, I assumed that the manifestation of my faith here in France would be more-or-less identical to the expression of my faith in America. As it turns out my presuppositions were wrong. Is Religious Expression…Illegal? We have slowly learned that the “separation between Church in State” in France does not mean what I am used to it meaning. In the States the government seeks to remains “neutral” while allowing all adherents to practice their religion…
Adopted by a King
by Dave Have you ever heard of Caesar Augustus? His name might be familiar, as he plays a supporting role in the Divine Drama beginning at Jesus’ birth. You can read of him in the Gospel of Luke: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all of the world should be registered” (Luke 2:1). It was this decree that led Joseph and Mary back to Bethlehem where Christ was born. Augustus was the Caesar at the time of Christ’s birth and was really the earthly reason that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But did you know…
The Birds Call for us to Trust the Lord with Tomorrow
by StaceyMatthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”Last night Makyra and I went to the store and bought a week’s worth of groceries. Being that the shopping carts here are half the size of those in the States, our’s was overflowing. And since we do not have a car we borrowed the overflowing shopping car to get our groceries across the street to our apartment. After that, I would usually haul all the groceries…
Sorry Switchfoot, We Should Divide Between the Secular and the Sacred
by Dave I really like Switchfoot; in fact I can pretty much quote every line of every song in their first three albums. I went to see them in concert ten years ago and even was able to take part in a “town hall” meeting where they answered questions presented by youth pastors. In that meeting, a pastor presented a concern that as a band they were becoming less “Christian.” The lead singer, Jon Foreman responded much as he did in a recent post on CTKBlog. The gist of his statement is that there is no division between the secular and…
5 Hope-Giving Reminders for Those Really Hard Days
By Stacey The truth is that everyone has those days. Whether you are a Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist living in America, France, or India we all have days we want to give up. We all have days where our three-year-old loses some screw in his brain and spends the entire day screaming at the top of his lungs. We all have felt the deep, hollow, shock of losing a mom, sister, or friend. We all get frustrated with ourselves when we lose it and scream at our kid, spouse, or co-worker. We all have those days when it is just…
A Needed Reminder of Heaven
I am sure that everyone has stayed up all night at some point in their lives. The longer you are awake, the weaker your body feels, and even a bit shaky from the caffeine you are drinking. But you keep trudging on, rocking your baby, typing sentence after sentence or sprinting through the airport to your next connecting flight. And then after the paper is finished, the hotel checked into, or the baby finally goes to sleep, you crash. You sleep long and hard, and then the next morning you wake up refreshed to the welcoming smell of your morning coffee. You are glad that…
Should We Teach Our Children About Hard Things?
by DaveHave you ever read any children’s books about the Flood? Throughout the last few years we have accumulated quite a few books that recount biblical tales for children, and several about the Flood. Here is one such retelling in a small Dalmatian Press book we have called “Noah’s Ark”: God told Noah to build an ark with one window and one door. Then he told Noah to put two of every kind of animal on the ark. God sent the animals to Noah two by two. There were two elephants and two mice, two toucans and two lions, two…
Confrontation is not Faux Pas
by Stacey I remember the first time someone I had just met tried to give me a kiss on the cheek here in France. Quite honestly I wanted to run away. Apparently “the kisses” (one small kiss on each cheek) is the French equivalent to the American hug. Each time it happens my former missions professor pops into my head and says, “Remember, it’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different.” I have since gotten used to kissing people on the cheeks instead of a hug, but there are still plenty of other things to get used to. For example, in my…
Heaven Welcomes a New Martyr
by Dave For French practice I chose an article in a French Christian magazine to translate and respond to. Below is my translation and some of my thoughts: New Martyr in Kenya On February 7, 2013 at 10am, Ahmed Abdi Welli, a Somalian Christian living in Kenya, was assassinated in the middle of the street while talking with a pastor in the city of Garissa. We suspect the Al Shebabs to be the origin of the attack. The pastor with whom he was found, Ibrahim Makunyi, was injured and drove to the hospital to undergo an emergency operation. Abdi…
“The Rain Stopped Hitting My Umbrella!”: Learning to Experience Life Like A Child
by Dave Picking up our kids from school is always an adventure. After a brisk bike ride from our campus to theirs we join the French version of the running of the bulls: a vast ocean of the parents and caretakers of 120 three to five year olds flooding through a single pair of double-doors. Being responsible for four of those children, all in separate classes, we cannot merely ride the back of the wave. So we squeeze through, call back “Excusez-moi” and head for two rooms each. Then comes the fumbling French as we try our best to understand…
