Acceptance

Christian practice today requires acceptance, tolerance, and inclusivity in order to reach those not being reached by the church. Without those values, conversations either can’t begin or won’t go far. They must stem from a humble spirit, but contrary to what you might expect, the path to acceptance, tolerance, and inclusivity begins with an inward, not outward, journey. In order to accept others (because acceptance is the height of tolerance and inclusivity), you must first be able to accept yourself. In order to truly be a presence of love for someone else, I have to first accept myself as I…
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Miriam and Jyn Erso

Rogue One was a great movie that, in my opinion, did a great job of exploring a small part of the greater Star Wars story. The original Star Wars hinted at a great sacrifice having been made to get a hold of the Death Star plans – without which, Luke wouldn’t have gotten very far on his epic journey that now spans 4 movies (I don’t count Revenge of the Sith). As it turns out, getting the Death Star plans was a great adventure and I am better off for having heard the story. In every story, there are little…
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Planting Seeds at Christmas

Jesus wasn’t born as a baby, he was planted as a seed. Jesus refers to himself agriculturally a few times: In John 12, he refers to his life as a grain of wheat that has to fall to the earth and die in order to bear fruit. In John 4 he tells the disciples that they are reapers, harvesting what has grown because of the work of others, including himself. And in the parable of the sower, he is both sower and seed, because he is himself the word of God. Paul picked up on this metaphor, referring to himself…
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The Conversation Every Millennial Needs to Have With Their Parents

According to the 2013 Conversation Project National Survey, 90 percent of people said that talking with their families or loved ones about end-of-life care is important, yet only 27 percent have had the conversation. Talking about end-of-life care with a family member is not just for the unforeseen accident.[…] http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/conversation-every-millennial-needs-have-their-parents

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