Showing results by narrator "Claton Butcher" in All Categories

Just as the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt, we have become slaves to technology. Our technological tools allow 24-hour productivity and connectivity, give us more control, and subtly enslave us to busyness itself. The Sabbath is about restraint, about intentionally not doing everything all the time just because we can. Setting aside a day of rest helps us reconnect with our Creator and find the peace of God that passes all understanding.

Truth used to be based on reason. No more. What we feel is now the truest source of reality. Despite our obsession with the emotive and the experiential, we still face anxiety, despair, and purposelessness. How did we get here? And where do we find a remedy? Schaeffer's work takes on a newfound relevance today in his prescient anticipation of the contemporary postmodern ethos. His critique demonstrates Christianity's promise for a new century, one in as much need as ever of purpose and hope.

We want to be different, but we don't want to change. Our attempts at spiritual formation and growth are consistently sabotaged by our surface efforts that never quite get to the root of the problem. We think we know what we're supposed to do, but we're not quite sure who we're supposed to be on the other side of transformation.

A cautionary look at 10 dangerously appealing half-truths. Not long ago, I came across a list of 10 principles set forth by proponents of progressive Christianity. They are, in effect, a new 10 commandments. What’s striking is that they are far less about God revealing his desires and far more about man expressing his own - less Moses, more Oprah. Yet each of these commandments is partially true. Indeed, that is what makes this list, and progressive Christianity as a whole, so challenging.

Your loved one begins drinking to the point of no return once again. A fight ensues, words are exchanged and it is another miserable episode of nagging and pleading and promises to refrain from ever returning to this point. Does this sound familiar? If this is the picture that represents your life, then it is time to enact an alternative to the repeated efforts of trying to make him or her quit this behavior. What if it were possible to alter your reaction to your loved one's drinking?

The ancient merchants of Tyre sailed the high seas and plumbed their depths in search of a rare shellfish, valued for its rich, purple dye. The Greek word kalchaino, to ponder, literally means in search of the purple fish. Like the search for the purple fish, Jesus goes to remarkable lengths in seeking after his most valued treasure lost, broken, hurting, oppressed people. He invites us on a grand adventure to help him connect with these purple fish too.

Pornography is powerful. Our contemporary culture as been pornified, and it shapes our assumptions about identity, sexuality, the value of women and the nature of relationships. Countless Christian men struggle with the addictive power of porn. But common spiritual approaches of more prayer and accountability groups are often of limited help.

Until very recently, no society had seen marriage as anything other than a conjugal partnership: a male-female union. What Is Marriage? identifies and defends the reasons for this historic consensus and shows why redefining civil marriage as something other than the conjugal union of husband and wife is a mistake. Originally published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, this book’s core argument quickly became the year’s most widely read essay on the most prominent scholarly network in the social sciences.

In the fall of 1864, the Civil War's outcome rested largely on Abraham Lincoln's success in the upcoming presidential election. As the contest approached, cautious optimism buoyed the President's supporters in the wake of Union victories at Atlanta and in the Shenandoah Valley. With all eyes on the upcoming election, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant conducted a series of large-scale military operations outside Richmond and Petersburg, which have, until now, received little attention.

The United States' approach to China since the Communist regime in Beijing that began the period of reform and opening in the 1980s was based on a promise that trade and engagement with China would result in a peaceful, democratic state. Forty years later, the hope of producing a benign People's Republic of China utterly failed. The Communist Party of China deceived the West into believing that its system and the Party-ruled People's Liberation Army were peaceful and posed no threat.

It seems that weight loss and getting into shape is a universal goal for the majority of people in North America. One way to lose weight and get into shape for once and for all is through a serious running program. How to Start a Running Routine and Become a Confident Runner. Running, along with walking, are exercises that you can begin fairly quickly and easily. Notice that we didn't say that weight loss would be easy to accomplish, but then nothing worthwhile ever is.

From the very beginning, the Bible tells a story of redemption. God made the first man to rule as king over all he created, only to see Adam’s reign end before it had barely begun. God knew all this, and that’s why he sent the one true king, Jesus, to dwell with us and reclaim what Adam had lost, saving mankind from the penalty of sin. Best-selling author Gloria Furman makes this concept come alive for kids as she compares Adam, the archetype, with Christ, “the last Adam”.

Drug use turns into abuse and addiction when the person begins experiencing urges and cravings. At this point, the user's mind finds a way to rationalize the addiction or deny that they even have a problem. The user begins to lose control over their drug use and may even underestimate the amount of drugs they are taking. While the amount of drugs a person takes does not necessarily indicate a problem, it is often an indicator of drug addiction.

As our use of technology has increased, our communication skills have decreased. We text when we should talk. We tweet firings and breakups. Technology creates the illusion of being in touch, but we lose the deeper meaning conveyed by body language, facial expression, and tone of voice. What we need are real, face-to-face conversations. Have we lost that art?

The People’s Republic of China and the United States are today at war. It is being fought with the use of information, politics, and finance. The Chinese believe that, as in all war, it would be better to win without engaging the enemy on the battlefield or having to resort to the likes of nuclear weapons if it can be avoided. To achieve this, China has engaged in a decades-long campaign to manipulate and corrupt America’s ruling elite.

Are you trying to deal with an alcoholic, a friend or relative that alcoholism is their way of living? It can be really difficult living or dealing with a close friend or a family member that is drinking to get 'drunk' one, two times a week (and in a lot of cases, daily). If you find yourself in this situation, I believe my book will help you out. I will first share two of my experiences and stories and then I will offer suggestions as to what I feel may help you. I, the author of this book, have lived and dealt with several drunks in my life.

God commands us to remember the Sabbath, but is it realistic in today's fast-paced culture? In this warm and helpful book, Shelly Miller dispels legalistic ideas about the Sabbath and shows how even busy people can implement a rhythm of rest into their lives—whether for an hour, a morning, or a whole day. With encouraging stories from people in different stages in life, Miller shares practical advice for having peaceful, close times with God.

This book presents the fullest account yet written of the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Rooted in a wealth of oral histories, it tells the dramatic but underreported story of a people who confronted the unprecedented devastation of sixty five thousand homes when the eye wall and powerful northeast quadrant of the hurricane swept a record thirty-foot storm surge across a seventy-five-mile stretch of unprotected Mississippi towns and cities. James Patterson Smith takes us through life and death accounts of storm day, August 29, 2005, and the precarious days of food and water shortages that followed. Along the way the narrative treats us to inspiring episodes of neighborly compassion and creative responses to the greatest natural disaster in American history

Gain a better understanding of the oppressive drug world, which has transformed and adversely affected so many lives. This book gives an in-depth look at why individuals turn to drugs, what happens chemically, signs and symptoms, intervention strategies, treatments, recovery and so much more. Additionally, the real stories submitted by ex-addicts (and loved ones of ex-addicts) demonstrates the power of substance abuse. These stories will take you through their journey from life before drugs to its after-effects.

Females make up the greater percentage of those affected by eating disorders; however, males are not immune to the disorder. Males can also fall victim to Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Compulsive Overeating. Eating disorders are not caused by a single known cause. In fact, the majority of the individuals struggling with this disorder have developed it after numerous factors paved the way. These issues surrounding weight, diet, and body image can prove highly dangerous to the physical and mental health of an individual.