Appreciation – a 12 lettered word that is a synonym for thanks and grateful.  According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, it means a feeling or expression of admiration, approval or gratitude. There are many Psalms that speak about appreciating/giving thanks to the Lord.  Psalm 100:4 states to “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. “ Psalms 118:29 and 136:1 say; “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth…

Whether practicing with bow and arrow, rifle/gun or simply trying to dunk into a hoop, before hitting a target of any kind, one must do a few things.  #1) View your target (see where they are in proximity to where you are located), #2) get whatever your tool is lined up with where you will strike the target and #3) try to hit the target. Professional athletes are very familiar with doing this and spend hours in the gym or on a field preparing for “game day” when they get to show their audience what they…

We all know with the arrival of each new day that time is marching on. We also know that aging is a part of the life cycle. In particular, if you are a woman, each birthday you have brings about a long reflective look at how you are aging. Some of the external ways that we evaluate the aging process are: the discovery of crows feet, fine lines, wrinkles, shading, and changes in the skin’s elasticity, etc. On a deeper psychological level, every birthday that we have doesn’t just speak to the passing of…

The animal kingdom is divided into two main groups: hunters and prey. Hunters work alone or sometimes in packs to track and kill other animals for food. The animals that are caught, killed and eaten as food are the prey.

Now let’s switch from the animal kingdom to humanity and look in terms of hunter and prey from a biblical perspective.

Jesus warned us in John 10:10 that Satan walks the Earth seeing whom he can kill, steal and destroy.

If we were to make an analogy it would read; Satan is to hunter as…

The word courage is a synonym for brave.  If you think back to childhood fairy tales, the main story character shows courage when he /she defeats the villain.  How about real-life in middle or high school when a “nice guy” who is a nerd being picked on stands upto a bully and the attacks stop.  As an adult, you might have gotten into an alteration with someone and you stood up for yourself and made the individual stop the unacceptable behavior.

The bible states that as God’s children that in regards to…

Fathers are seen by society as protectors, providers and givers of wisdom. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, ethnicities, educational backgrounds, and can be a member of any religion or socio-economic class.  As Christians, we understand that being a father is more than just impregnating a woman, it is a God-given job that a man should take seriously which involves loving, nurturing, educating his children about right and wrong behavior, offering structure, and disciplining his children when needed…

Have you ever wondered why it sometimes feels that you are being attacked by negative forces?  If you are a follower of Christ you should not be surprised.

John 15:18 says, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Also in Luke 21:17 it states, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.” Jesus told his disciples that because they were His followers that they would experience difficulties in life.  He explained to them that the world would "hate" them because of their…

Isaiah 55:9 tells us that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  If we read the bible we see time and time again how God will “resurrect” an individual after he/she has gone through a severe test or trial.

Look in Genesis at the story of Joseph.  He was cast into a pit by his brothers, sold off as a slave, lied on and sent to prison for many years before being released an becoming the 2^nd highest person of power in Egypt.

How about Job who lost his children, was…

Children are born innocent, but as they grow, they quickly learn the ways of the world.  How many times have you seen a small child do something wrong and when confronted by their parent denied it?  Even when the parent explained to the child that they saw the wrongdoing with their own eyes, the child shakes their head "no."

Unfortunately, the act of lying is not something only limited to children. Teenagers may lie on tests taken in school for fear of failing, or about a rival that stands between them…

It’s hard to believe that the first month of the new year is already over today.  Some have made resolutions; others are sporting hairdos to accompany a makeover to start off the year.  People who were once single are starting the adventure of life with a new husband or wife, while others who were married for many years are learning to start over as a single person again maybe due to death or a divorce. Moving to another city for a job opportunity may be on the radar for those who wish to increase their…