By Jeff Klick, Ph.D. Every follower of Christ is called to make disciples as part of the Great Commission. God has also ordained that each person is a part of a family structure of some sort, and this provides a perfect training ground to put this command into practice. Our goal is to reach as
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 Life is tough. There’s no way around it; it’s just full of valleys and mountaintops, ups and downs, highs and lows. At one time or another for one reason or another, we all experience pain, heartache, brokenness, sadness, and sickness. It’s inevitable and unavoidable. Since we can’t do anything about eliminating the
By Ashley McIlwain “So, when are you guys going to have some babies?!” This was a question posed to my husband and me … at our wedding reception. We hadn’t been married but an hour, and the baby question was already being asked. I remember being dumbfounded wondering if it was some sort of odd
By Ashley McIlwain You’re sitting at a restaurant and can’t help but notice the family sitting at a table nearby. The kids are playing games on their iPads and gaming devices oblivious to the world around them. The mom and dad are completely engrossed in something on their phones not paying attention to their kids
By Ashley McIlwain The other night my hubs, Steve, and I were cuddled up having a movie night, and I was especially struck by the movie we were watching. Most of you have probably either seen it or heard about it; it’s called Taken. The premise of the story is that this girl goes to
By Ashley McIlwain It’s ironic. It’s ironic how we always seem to want something so badly until we get it. Then it’s not that great anymore, and we swear that we will be happy for real this time if we could just get on to that next big thing. When we get that new thing
By Ashley McIlwain Christmas is my favorite time of year. I know I’m not alone in my sentiments about this holly jolly season. What’s not to love? Christmas music, decorations, presents, time with family, hot cocoa, and Christmas trees. Sigh. Not to mention the reason for it all – the arrival of Jesus, Savior to
By Ashley McIlwain “Babe, let me be a man.” That’s one of the many jokes my husband, Steve, and I playfully throw around in our day-to-day relating to one another. We find playful banter to be an absolute must in our life together. Anyway, he says this in a couple of different scenarios. Mr. Fix-It
By Ashley McIlwain As with many holidays and special occasions, Thanksgiving will likely come with the usual hustle and bustle in tow. Before we know it, it will be a thing of the past, and we may have missed out on the opportunity the day presents. Thanksgiving is defined by Miriam Webster as the act
