Listen Up My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. –James 1:19 Listening doesn't come easily for most people. It is a skill that must be cultivated, and it takes time, self-control, and a genuine desire to seek understanding to be proficient
By Ashley McIlwain We lock our doors. We install high-tech alarm systems. We fasten our seat belts. We wear helmets. We look both ways before crossing the street. We use anti-virus software. We buy guns. We use antibacterial soap. The truth is, we want to feel safe, so we do everything we can to establish
By Ashley McIlwain Something that many of us don’t realize is that the decisions we make linger long beyond when they are made. This is a fact and realization I wish I’d come to fully discover and appreciate much sooner in my life because it would have saved me a lot of heartache. At the
By Ashley McIlwain Where do we draw the line? Where do we say white meets black in the choices of life? Where does safety end and danger begin? We all face these questions in our lives in nearly every area. When we are dating, these questions often swirl around physical intimacy. How far can we
By Ashley McIlwain Something that frequently comes up in correspondences from people relate back to their inner circle. Your inner circle is that group of people that you most frequently surround yourself with, seek counsel from, confide in, and that influences you most significantly. We all have an inner circle whether it’s two people or
By Ashley McIlwain One of the most debated over and misunderstood concepts in marriage is submission. At the mention of the word, people get up in arms. Everyone seems to have such a strongly formulated view of what submission is and how it plays out in marriage. Yet, there’s a lot of confusion, frustration, and
By Ricinda Perry Week 3 into my 90 day challenge. PHYSICAL UPDATE: I made it on a 6.2 mile run this week and am going to try and keep that as a goal distance I hit at least twice a week. Dieting … Physical discipline is relatively easy for me. I enjoy getting out there
By Ashley McIlwain I was watching my niece fight her nap. Her eyelids looked like they were packing luggage for a family of five, and yet, she would rather tote around that heavy load than to just close her eyes and let it slip away. She wanted to stay awake even though she desperately needed
By Ashley McIlwain Have you ever asked yourself where you should draw the line? Perhaps you’ve had a conversation with a friend asking them about the “gray” area. How far is too far? Is this ok? Technically there is nothing wrong with doing x, y, or z, right? It seems that we all like to
By Ashley McIlwain What does it mean to be “forward thinking?” Many of us think of it in terms of progressive thoughts and ideas. Perhaps establishing a new and brilliant way of conceptualizing and understanding life. Someone who is forward thinking is ahead of the ballgame in their thoughts, plans, and actions. They’re always one
