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Archive for the ‘Failure’

What Do You Do With a Downer Day?

June 09, 2008 By: Cathi-Lyn Dyck, Managing Editor Category: Marriage, Parenting, Personality, Life, Failure, Off The Wall 1 Comment →

I dunno. Every so often, a day–or series of days–comes along that just drags at a person. It’s been that way lately. My summer schedule is full to bursting. I’ve had to opt out of some paying work, and I feel like the family-and-community to-do lineup is a thousand miles long.

I suspect I’m turning into my mother. As I write this, my first inclination is to make a list. Take it all down to size, prioritize, tackle. I’m not the list person. She is. Problem is, listing it sometimes just clarifies the problems, not the solutions.

A long list of disappointments lately–a list that’s very clear in my mind–doesn’t help. I got a solid dose of the flaws in some of my family relationships. There’s the ongoing internal conflict in our church. We also just received a “no” from a potential pastor who had seemed to be all “yes” up till now. It was a financially costly “no” to the church, and we’re going to have to answer some angry questions. At times like this, the responsibilities of our young family, jobs, and even little things like home maintenance just get to be a weight, rather than the privilege they should be to the two of us.

So, what do you do with a “downer” day? Make a list? Stay in bed? Go into denial and eat chocolate? Tackle the future with both hands and feet?

I’m sure there’s an interesting range out there. Gimme your thoughts.

Alarmed by the “Christian Subculture”

May 22, 2008 By: Trina Category: Writing, Ministry, Morals, Author, Article, Marriage, Faith, Religious Freedom, Values, God, Christianity, Religion, Church, Failure, Forgiveness, Life, Health, Music 1 Comment →

I spent one decade submerged into a subculture which I didn’t even realize existed at the time. As I found myself escaping the subculture, I realized I was living life only in the “Christian subculture“. Now, after spending a decade on the outside of the “Christian subculture“, I don’t consider myself bitter about the “Christian subculture” but alarmed about it! (more…)

Break the Shame

May 19, 2008 By: Cathi-Lyn Dyck, Managing Editor Category: Life, God, Ministry, Faith, Health, Forgiveness, Religion, Persecution, Christianity, Failure, Church 1 Comment →

It is totally possible to be raised within a grace-based system, and yet develop a performance-based sense of religion. Note that I don’t say “sense of faith,” because by definition performance is not faith. Faith is trust. And level of trust is not a measure of our performance, but of our relationship. God knows our difficulty with trusting, when so much in life is broken. He’s both capable and willing to earn our trust, much as we don’t deserve that grace. But that’s the point of grace. (more…)

The Don’t-Talk Clause

May 12, 2008 By: Cathi-Lyn Dyck, Managing Editor Category: God, Values, Ministry, Faith, Life, Health, Religion, Persecution, Christianity, Failure, Church No Comments →

I left my small-town home because I was sick of the stupid social rules that develop in a compressed community environment. Oh, la, and then I became a Christian. My first church did not like me. I said exactly what I thought, and if something didn’t line up with the Bible, I wanted to know why they’d do that, when they’re supposed to be Christians and know this stuff. (more…)

Overlooking Obesity

May 07, 2008 By: Trina Category: Writing, Vision, Gardening, Food, Author, Article, Faith, Home Steading, Organic, Values, Death, Failure, Christianity, Poverty, Religion, Health, Cancer, Sustainability, God, Life, Church 3 Comments →

By Trina Daniels

While visiting a church recently, a severely obese pastor delivered a sermon. I had a tough time listening to the sermon about the failure of “Christians to witness.” I fell into the sin of judging him based on his obesity. As I glanced around the congregation, the majority of the people were overweight. I’m only human and couldn’t help but wonder why there wasn’t a message being taught about taking care of the bodies God has given us.

Overeating seems to be one of the sins which most pastors, Christians, reverends, and priests overlook. If “gluttony is a sin,” why is “Christian America” one of the “fattest nations“? It’s a serious issue which is seldom discussed despite a growing number of “christian” based weight loss programs. (more…)


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