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By Betty Jane Gagnon|Published Date: February 22, 2010
My beloved is mine, and I am his...
Song of Solomon 2:16
My second daughter is getting married this spring! She is marrying a fine Christian man who is currently on active duty in Afghanistan. She got engaged over a Skype call. The sparkling diamond ring was hidden unknown to her. She was simply asked to go on a scavenger hunt for certain items placed strategically in the house. The final lead brought her to the ring’s location. For the females reading this account we are enthralled by the romance. The guys are probably thinking, “How did he pull that off?”
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 By Michele Waters|Published Date: February 15, 2010
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God is active in everyone and everything. A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 HCSB
Our physical body, in order to function, requires food and oxygen to reach every aspect of it. We’ve trillions of interacting cells; each requires energy in order to carry on life. Every breath we take in and exhale, every morsel of food and sip of water we ingest, and every beat of our heart work together to fuel the millions of chemical reactions taking place. We can’t consciously pick and choose the cells to activate at any particular time; they’re all in it together depending upon each other for the life duration of our earthly vessel.
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By Colly Tettelbach|Published Date: February 08, 2010
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
This is a dark time of the year. Shadows are longer; days are shorter. Cold, wet, and gloom prevail. The middle-of-the-night worries are more worrisome; the nighttime suffering is more painful; fears in the dark are scarier. At this time of the year, when sunlight is at a minimum, depression is more prevalent and the incidence of suicide increases. The Bible often uses the word “darkness” to describe sin, moral depravity, uncertainty, chaos or death.
And yet, this dark time of the year is when we just finished celebrating our most joyous and celebratory holy day. Bells rang; people sang; and cries of “merry” and “happy” abounded. It was Christmas, the time when we celebrate the breaking in of God into our human existence.
The Bible uses the word “light” to symbolize life, joy, truth, knowledge, and all that is good. In fact, the very first creative act that is recorded is when God created light. Light has many functions: it reveals what is hidden; it illuminates; it provides energy and it energizes; it warms. How absolutely appropriate that Jesus describes Himself as the “light of the world….who comes to bring the light of life”.
In the Light of the World, our dark nature is revealed. However, the Light of Life provides a way to escape the death which is the natural consequence. And, the Light also illuminates our way. It strengthens and guides; and it warms. What an incredible gift, this gift of light!
Darkness cannot pervade and cannot overcome light. When darkness and light meet, the darkness always fades. Always.
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
In the midst of the external darkness, we live in the Light of a Love so great, so lasting, that our whole being is suffused with joy. With whom can you share the Light of Love in these dark and gloomy days?
For more information on Jesus, read the article, “The Measure of All Things” by Regis Nicoll.
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By Christopher A. Perrin|Published Date: February 01, 2010
4"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Let’s assume that we want to teach the Bible to our children. Let’s assume too that we struggle to do this well. How many times have you realized after a week of frenetic living that you have scarcely prayed with or for your children and neglected to bring the Scriptures to bear on a single conversation? Sometimes we are glad if we can work in an occasional reference to Scripture, and of course the Bible is always lying on the coffee table—a comforting sight.
If the Bible actually is a mighty sword (the sword of the Spirit, Paul calls it), it is remarkable that we so seldom swing it. On the other hand, it is no surprise that we are somehow tricked into keeping it on the coffee table among other decorative books we occasionally thumb through. At least it is there as an emblem of our faith—like a sword or coat of arms hanging on a wall.
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By BettyJane Gagnon|Published Date: January 25, 2010
 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered."
Genesis 32:24-30
My boys are wrestlers. Wrestling is an arduous but artful sport, and you have to be in good shape to keep up the rigors it demands. The nature of wrestling is contact. Two opponents, of equal weight, meet in a circle, shake hands and begin when the referee calls, “Wrestle,” and blows his whistle. The referee contorts his body as much as the wrestlers in order to observe their every twist and move. Points are scored by a wrestler achieving one or another kind of advantage over his opponent. When one wrestler is able to hold his opponent’s back to the floor for a three-count, a pin has occurred and the match is over. A match can also conclude after the specified time has elapsed and the opponent with the most accumulated points from various moves during the match is victor.
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By Diane Singer|Published Date: January 18, 2010
A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
Proverbs 14:5
James Cameron’s film Avatar is burning up box offices around the world, raking in more than $600 million dollars in its first two weeks. Visually, it’s not hard to understand why: the improvements Cameron has made to both motion-capture and 3D technology are astounding. I found the motion-capture used in Polar Express disturbingly creepy, and I generally avoid 3D movies because the fuzzy resolution gives me a headache. Plus, I can never really forget the techno-geek gimmicks behind such movies, so my focus is never solely on the film’s story.
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