It's Election Day. We've taken advantage of the opportunity to learn a bit more about the country of my birth in our homeschooling endeavors. We even made this snazzy little poster to enhance our geography knowledge, ability to alphabetize and sharpen our math skills once the results filter in. But apart from the perk of it being a learning experience, the idea of election can be applied to Christianity as well. Unlike the campaigns and fervent lobbying that have taken place in the past several months leading up to this day, we don't have to convince anyone to vote for us when it comes to...

On a recent road trip, we passed a truck pulling a two-tiered trailer laden with vehicles.  Even from a distance, I could see that these particular cars were not being chauffeured because they were brand spankin’ new.  No, these unfortunate automobiles were on their way to the junkyard.  All eight of the cars secured onto the back of this semi had extensive damage – not just from fender benders, but serious crashes.  None were drivable whatsoever. As I passed these masses of crumpled metal, I thought about how similar these cars were to mankind.  All of us, Christian or not, are damaged...

The morning air was still fresh and crisp as we plodded forward on our hike to the peak. We had barely begun our ascent when my five-year-old arched his neck, pointed his chin to the sky and spotted the goal at hand. “We’re almost there, Mom,” he concluded. His first time ever walking this trail, he had no idea what lay ahead.  He knew not of the steep incline, the massive boulders, the ladders, the narrow paths, the loose rocks. He had his eye on the prize, and in his mind, we were almost there. I admired his optimism. In fact, it was far better that he didn’t know what was to come.  I...

The full seven years of her life collaborate into a frenzy of excitement as she runs from room to room, inhaling the luxury of the new holiday destination with unmatched exhilaration.  She turns from the interior and faces a wall of sliding glass doors that reveal the breathtaking grandeur of the ocean just a stone’s throw away. Without hesitation, she exclaims, “I could get used to this!” My husband would say she is her mother’s child.  But who can blame her?  The magnificence of the surroundings is indescribable. As we collectively stand in awe of the Lord’s provision to grant us such...

At a mere five years of age, the idea is already firmly planted in his mind: big muscles are cool.  Not only is he convinced that big muscles are cool, but he is also sure that he wants them. Determined to get them, actually. He studies intently the way his elder brother attempts a push-up, and notes the corrections his father suggests to straighten the arched, unstable form.  He stretches out his own frame to its full potential and assumes his best 'flat as a board' position. And then the push-ups begin. One, two. He stands up, mildly winded, and checks his progress with a lift of his...