We may take our independence for
granted until we experience a health crisis or become primary caregiver
for a friend or member of the family. Suddenly, we are confronted by
health insurance, Health Maintenance Organizations (managed health
care), the complex vocabulary of the long-term care industry, and the
tension between choice and safety
The idea
of family planning rings a lot of negative bells for some folk because
the idea is sometimes linked with helping teens secure abortions or
encouraging the use of birth control as a means to prevent pregnancy
among teens.
devotional Ideas for Family And
Group Use During Advent (Rev. Ed.)
Trudie West Revoir, Revised John
Pipe
Review by Jeffrey L. Bessler
One of the interesting signs of
our ecumenical times in the Church is the rediscovery of both liturgical and
non-liturgical traditions and devotions by Christians who have often shunned
these ideas and practices since the Reformation.
more
Letter to a Grieving Heart
by Billy Sprague
Harvest House Publishers, 2001
Review by Bruce L. Thiessen,
Ph.D.
Though it left many questions unanswered, Letter to a Grieving Heart
served as a source of inspiration in my efforts to compose One September
Mournin'/One December Night, a new musical designed to offer comfort to
grieving victims of the sorrowful and horrific events of September 11th via
the message of the Christmas story.
more
Employees
whose personal lives are in order make for a more peaceful and productive
workplace. Many progressive employers, therefore, offer employee benefits to
help their workers at points of need.
more
Educate for Life: Reproduction
(from 50 Ways You Can Be Prolife)
By Tony Campolo and Gordon Aeschliman
There is
a lot of controversy surrounding the question of "sex education." It is
important to separate values education and physiological
education when we approach this controversy.
more
An HIV Update The Four
Ages of AIDS
In observance of World AIDS Day,
December 1, 2001
There have been some
interesting developments in the world of AIDS. AND there are some
disheartening changes occurring also, such as the rate of infection in some
of the more underdeveloped countries like those in Sub-Saharan Africa and
Asia.
more
Homes for
Pregnant Teens and Young Moms
From 50 Ways You Can Be Prolife
by Tony Campolo and Gordon
Aeschliman
Hundreds of thousands of our
homes are virtually vacant. The kids have grown, and now there are two or
three bedrooms that do nothing but hold memories and collect dust. An older
couple or a widowed person rattles around in the empty space. How about
linking them to our commitment to being prolife? more
Three Christian
Travel Guides
Review by Susan Jeffers
These are the sorts of book
you wish had been around forever. Anyone planning a trip should check to see
whether there is a Christian travel guide for the area, and take it along. more
Focus on the Children
from 50 Ways You
Can Be Prolife
by Tony
Campolo and Gordon Aeschliman
The vulnerability of children
provides a clear call to us to be completely prolife. The child in the womb
lives in a secure environment, protected from inclement weather, poor
housing, emotional abuse and much more. read more
Adoption. . . A
Loving Option
By Paula Huntington
November is National Adoption month. Our challenge
to individuals and organizations is to promote adoption in some way during
that month, and year round as well. more
Real love is unconditional.
The foundation of a genuinely meaningful relationship with a child is
unconditional love, for only this will nurture a child emotionally and
spiritually. more
Name-calling: words do hurt!
by Jan Beckert
On any given day, on any
playground, name-calling reigns as a prime means of one child putting down
another. "You’re gay!" "You retard!" "You faggot!" "You throw like a
girl!" are all effective in establishing the inferiority of the child on
the receiving end. Too often this name-calling gets brought home and used
in disputes between siblings. Of course, none of (ahem!) OUR children
would have learned it from their parents....more
RELATIONAL
PARENTING
By Ross Campbell, M.D.
Review by Maureen Brustkern
Dr. Ross Campbell is a
Christian psychiatrist with thirty years in practice. In Relational
Parenting he proposes an innovative, inspirational approach to
parenting that is based on the unconditional love of parents toward
their children coupled with a proactive response to the needs and
developmental levels of children rather than a reactive response to
their behavior.
more
Apart from the above
passages - there are many more in the Word - that
tells us to pray and in fact to pray continuously, steadfastly and
without ceasing, there are also other passages that make clear prayer's
effectiveness via the examples of people that prayed. It is this latter
kind of passages that will be examined in this article, starting from
Acts 12.
. . .more
The number of people on the planet Earth is now...
Excellent list for those who seek a more
meaningful Christmas
No Place
for Abuse: Biblical &
Practical Resources to Counteract Domestic Violence
by Catherine Clark Kroeger & Nancy
Nason-Clark
Critical Review by
Dr. Bruce L.Theissen
The old saying, "There's no
place like home!" is one in which many souls take comfort. Not the
battered, beleagured Janice, Macy, Susan, or Vilma, the real-life
subjects depicted in No Place for Abuse, and certainly not Mrs.
Jones, a composite of characters more
Family
Family
resources
APPLES NEVER FALL FAR FROM THE TREE
by Lisa Baker
The other day I
made one of our family favorites, vegetable soup from scratch. As I fed
the contents into my behemoth stainless steel pot it occurred to me that
I knew the source of every ingredient. All the vegetables, down to the
fat, pungent bulb of garlic, had come from our garden. Some, like the
carrots, potatoes and onions, had been pulled from the ground that same
day. Peas: shelled during the morning news. Others, like the green beans
and corn, had been pulled from the freezer. . . .more
THE
DILEMMA OF VACATION TRAVEL AND SUNDAY WORSHIP
by Amy Eckert
A father is perplexed by his
children’s reluctance to attend worship services while they are on
vacation.
His question is addressed
another, sympathetic parent:
Q: "Making our kids go to
church when we’re on vacation is like pulling teeth. They whine, "Why do
we have to go to church? We’re on vacation!" My wife and I are often
tempted to give in, but we really do want to maintain our ritual of
worshiping every Sunday. Do you have any suggestions?
A: The problem you raise is
one so common to parents, especially parents of teen-age children. Kids
and adults alike frequently feel conspicuous and out of place in a
strange congregation. My husband and I have struggled with this
ourselves for. . more
Speaking of Sin:
The Lost
Language of Salvation
By Barbara
Brown Taylor
Review by
Carlton Kelley
Barbara Brown
Taylor, noted author, teacher, preacher and priest of the Episcopal
Church has a gift for writing simply and profoundly. In this book she
brings those gifts to bear on a subject that unfortunately receives very
little balanced treatment from either the study or the pulpit. more
FAMILIES AT
THE CROSSROADS:
Beyond Traditional & Modern
Options
by Rodney Clapp
Review by Barry Cramer
Rodney Clapp's book provides much
grist for the mill in the turmoil over the status and role of family in
today's culture. Even though now a few years old, Clapp's book remains
relevant as Society and Church continue to engage in debate over the
future of the family.
Family