Category Archives: Spiritual life

A rich and lasting heritage

Posted on August 22, 2015 by salooper57

I was a little anxious. I was guest speaker at our church’s youth group, sitting before a crowd of teenagers who had been encouraged to ask any question they wanted. They asked really good questions: Why does God allow suffering? … Continue reading →

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The most difficult field of study

Posted on August 15, 2015 by salooper57

The biblical book of Psalms contains 150 poems or praises (151 in the Orthodox Church) and has often been referred to as the songbook of the Church. Indeed, in some times and places, the psalms were the only songs in … Continue reading →

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Be careful not to stare into the wrong eyes

Posted on August 8, 2015 by salooper57

I was in the Istanbul airport this summer, standing at Passport Control, while a uniformed officer went through my papers. He was scowling. He looked at my passport picture, then at me, then back at my papers. I couldn’t tell … Continue reading →

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We were made that way

Posted on July 25, 2015 by salooper57

Lady Gaga sings about Mary Magdalene, the friend and disciple of Jesus. Katy Perry refers to the biblical hero Esther and writes about being called and chosen. The Clash refers to the floods of God, the walls of Jericho and … Continue reading →

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Discontent is a two-edged sword

Posted on July 18, 2015 by salooper57

Each year the Gallup organization polls people from 120 countries around the world to find out if they are satisfied with the freedom they have to choose what to do with their lives. In 2006, the U.S. ranked as one … Continue reading →

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A brief defense of long marriages

Posted on July 11, 2015 by salooper57

I stood next to my wife and below us, on the counter, was a card-sized envelope with my first name written in her hand. Its purpose totally escaped me. “What’s this for?” I asked. She answered by saying, “Happy anniversary!” … Continue reading →

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Christianity’s Answer to America’s Identity Crisis

Posted on June 27, 2015 by salooper57

America is going through an identity crisis. The “live for today” approach to life – or, more precisely, the “live for how I feel today” approach to life – has disconnected us from our past and from our roots. The … Continue reading →

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Things I’m glad my dad didn’t teach me

Posted on June 20, 2015 by salooper57

After reading an article by Peter Scholl, a forty-something married man with kids, living in Australia, I find myself grateful for the things my dad didn’t teach me. Scholl reflects on what contemporary culture teaches boys and men about their … Continue reading →

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Hit by a pornographic tsunami

Posted on June 13, 2015 by salooper57

Recent survey data reveals that 68 percent of men who describe themselves as Christians – so approximately seven out of every ten Christian men in America – look at pornography. That is true even though 65 percent of all American … Continue reading →

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From what area code does this call originate?

Posted on May 30, 2015 by salooper57

Kym Ackerman left her dental appointment in Flagstaff, Arizona with a numinous feeling of wonder. On an X-ray of her left-side molars, she had just seen the image of Jesus. According to The Huffington Post, Ackerman explained that her mother … Continue reading →

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