Confirm our Faith and Hope in Your Grace and Mercy Lord God, heavenly Father, may your Holy Spirit strengthen our hearts and confirm our faith and hope in your grace and mercy. Although we have reason to fear because of our conscience, our sin and our unworthiness, we may nevertheless, with the woman of Canaan, hold fast to your grace …
Quote of the week, Abraham Joshua Heschel
“There is something sacred in every moment.” Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (New York: Harper and Row, 1955), 74.
Column entry, “Let’s Talk Family,” by Jonathan Pettigrew and Diane Badzinski
Column: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing Column entry: Let’s Talk about Love By Jonathan Pettigrew, PhD, Arizona State University; Diane Badzinski, PhD, Colorado Christian University Column Description: Let’s Talk Family: Conversations about Faith and Family Flourishing is a monthly column offering a space to consider research-based, biblically-sound practices for family communication. We all have families. And …
Vlog entry, “Better Than Flowers or Chocolate,” by Stephanie Bennett
Description: Join Stephanie as she reflects on our recent Valentine’s Day celebration from a different perspective. . . To understand and be understood is a beautiful thing. Giving another the gift of listening to their story is better than chocolates, even better than flowers! You can show your friend or mate that you care enough to listen carefully to really …
Column entry, “Ashes and Light, Children and Lightness,” by John Hatch
Column title: Crossed My Mind: Thoughts on Culture and Communication Column entry: “Ashes and Light, Children and Lightness” By John Hatch, Ph.D. Eastern University (retired) CCSN Senior Fellow Column Description: As Christians, we are called to have the mind of Christ. This goes against the grain of our social and cultural conditioning. We seek personal or political advancement; Christ seeks …
A Prayer for Perfect Love, by Saint Augustine
Heavenly Father, I offer up this prayer for perfect love in all of my life, including my communication with others. May the words I choose, the symbols I use, the nonverbal gestures I display, bear witness to your perfect love for me and the world. Perfect Love Grant me, even me, my dearest Lord, to know you, and love you, …
Devotional, “Impression Management: What My Things Say about Me,” by Donna Elkins
Impression Management: What My Things Say about Me I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. Ecclesiastes 2:4–6 (NIV) Two examples recently inspired me to think about how we choose the items we …
Quote of the week, by Henri J. Nouwen
“To do well the few things one is called to do and hold on to the joy and peace they can bring. That can be a sign of hope in a broken world.” ******************** Source: Henri . Nouwen, Here and Now (New York, NY: Crossroads, 1994), 100.
A Prayer that My Communication Comes from a Heart of Flesh and Not Stone, by St. Ambrose of Milan
A Prayer that My Communication Comes from a Heart of Flesh and Not Stone O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore thee, …
Devotional, “Assume the Best First,” by Lakelyn Taylor
Assume the Best First Lakelyn Taylor University of Central Florida The one who searches for what is good finds favor, but if someone looks for trouble it will come to him. (Proverbs 11:27) I received news one evening that a good friend of my father’s had died rather unexpectedly. As soon as I heard the news, I called my dad …
