Lord, I praise and worship You. You are my God. There is none like You. You established the heavens and the earth. You made man in Your likeness. You made man in Your image. Jesus, thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for Your grace. We need Your Spirit to lead, guide, and comfort … Continue reading Grace Needed
Author: The Bell Reader
Compassionate Compliance
It is becoming more and more of a reality that COVID19 is deadly. Tens of thousands have died over the past weeks across the globe. This virus has not discriminated by color, creed, age, nationality, or any of the miniscuel markers oligarchs use to generate multitrillion dollar wars, divides, and oppressions. This virus defines the … Continue reading Compassionate Compliance
Desire: Disciplined or Destructive.
What is the role of desire in humanity's life? Is it a tool and instrument for absolute pleasure and consumption? Or, is it a gift for intimacy and relationship? Desire presents itself in many ways. It is presented and represented by everything that we are told to like and everything that we do like. How … Continue reading Desire: Disciplined or Destructive.
Same Person, No Pain? Ashamed Person, Of Scars?
The Cross never stopped Jesus from being who He was. It was wicked, vile, evil, horrid, and an absolute demonstration of darkness. However, it did not stop Jesus from being Healer, Keeper, Redeemer, Savior, Master, Rabbi, Friend, Brother, and everything else that He was (1). If anything, it confirmed who He was (2). Hana Houfani … Continue reading Same Person, No Pain? Ashamed Person, Of Scars?
Continual Praise
The continual sacrifice (1) of praise to God is not simply screaming and yelling to the top of our lungs. It is not only shouting phrases of adoration. Many houses of worship minimize worship to Christ by extensive and overly long services in the name of accessing the presence of God. It is also minimized … Continue reading Continual Praise
Dad Wars: Managing it All
Being a husband, being a dad, being a professional, being a dreamer, being a visionary, being a homeowner, being, being, and more being. The pressure of being a father brings with it many challenges. How many of the challenges are legitimate? How many of them are illegitimate? How many of them come along with the … Continue reading Dad Wars: Managing it All
Leaving Church. Leaving Community.
Part 2 It was more than where we worshiped. It was about more than simple leaving the place we served and walked out our faith collectively with others. It was about leaving a community that we served faithfully nearly two decades. We served in schools. We served in healthcare. We served in ministry. We served … Continue reading Leaving Church. Leaving Community.
Leaving Church. Leaving Community.
Part 1 We stayed there because we did not know where else we could go. We stayed there because we had many responsibilities. We stayed there regardless of how we were treated. I stayed there because it would have made things uncomfortable for my wife I left. We stayed there because of our sons. We … Continue reading Leaving Church. Leaving Community.
Juanita
When thinking of my grandmother, Juanita White, I think of her laughter , the way she would say my name with that slow Southern drawl, and ginger ale. She was at the center of a part of my childhood, where Summer days were long and the nights were longer because she did not have cable … Continue reading Juanita
Goals: Selfish or Serving?
Goals are great to have. However, if they come at the expense, hurt, pain, or devaluing of others they may not be goals. You may simply be selfish. It is an awesome thing to have a plan to go somewhere, be something, overcome some feat, or conquer some challenge. However, are your efforts empowering others … Continue reading Goals: Selfish or Serving?