I think it's essential that we do more than talk about austerity measures and cutting.

Obviously, this whole 'no child left behind' idea is more rhetoric than actual practice.

People lie to themselves all the time about what they've been through and what it means - I'm no exception. But you write those lies down - lies that really matter to you and that are really painful to let go of because they've become a part of who you are - and they don't work.

Few killer viruses are more difficult to discern than this one. On the surface all appears to be healthy and working, but it's not. All those hours and hours spent lost in one Christian book after another . . . all those many Christian responsibilities outside the home or going from one seminar to another . . . all that extra time in prayer and Bible study. . . . At times we use these Christian activities as an unconscious attempt to escape from pain. In

Is it any wonder that most people live off other people's spirituality rather than taking the time to develop their own direct experience of God? Most Christians talk about prayer but don't pray. Most believe the Bible as the Word of God but have little idea what it says. Our goals for our children differ little from those of "pagans" who do not known God. Like the world, we, too, grade people based on their education, wealth, beauty, and popularity.

Part of growing into an emotionally mature Christian is learning how to apply practically and effectively the truths we believe.

Luther, the hero of Worms, the champion of the sacred rights of conscience, was, in words, the most violent, but in practice, the least intolerant, among the Reformers.

Yieldedness is vital in listening to what He has to say.

I believe we have a responsibility, even if our job is to lead a nonprofit organization, as private citizens to be good citizens and to make our voices heard.

It is a huge myth that our voices don't matter, that our vote doesn't count.

What the purpose of my life is about is I want to become the kind of person that God wants me to become, and through my study of the scriptures I can articulate the kind of person that God would be happy if I become.

Steve introduced me to the process of putting God's Word into practice, of acting on His promises and commands. I would read something in the Bible and consciously say, "This is God's will." Intellectually, I understood the meaning of it. Emotionally, I had to put this new truth to the test, to prove it by my own will. "Yes, this is God's will," adding, "for me.