Christian Reflections

I have several friends who are marriage counselors. I once asked one of them about an approach they use with couples who are going through struggles (as all couples tend to do). He began to give me a list of a few things he tries, but the one that stuck out to me most was what he called, “The Good Things” list.

There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to big events.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — A major news network once had a weekly program called “Turning Point”, which featured a real crime story each week, following an investigation from beginning to end. Toward the end of the show, the announcer would say something like, “When we return, we’ll show you the turning point of

“Symbolism over substance” is a consistent critique of political parties and political leaders, regardless of one’s political leanings.There is nothing wrong with symbols or symbolism. From the earliest days of humanity, symbols have been an important part of culture. Symbols teach us things through repetition and reminder. They rally us together behind important thoughts and

I heard the story of an elderly man who revisited his hometown after many years away. As he walked through his old neighborhood, he noticed the house where he grew up was run down and looked as if it had been abandoned for years. Across the street, the home of his childhood best friend looked

Those of us who are a bit directionally challenged (i.e., bad at directions) know the feeling of making the wrong turn at what should be a familiar intersection. We also know the feeling of taking longer to get to a destination than it should take.Thankfully, our phones have GPS built in and we can get

The phrase “whistling in the dark” has a couple of different meanings.It is sometimes used to indicate someone is pretending to be brave when they are actually afraid or uncertain. It has also been used to describe a person who talks confidently without actually knowing what he or she is talking about. However, the usage

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again” (Luke 24:5-7).These words will be read

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Politicians from all sides like to ask a version of this question: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”It is not clear which politician first asked that question, but it has become more common, and it does make an impact in many cases. It is

“Hi, Charles,” the barista called out as I entered the coffee shop. Without thinking, I said “Hello,” and started my order. As I was waiting, I thought how interesting it was that this barista called me by name. I don’t go to coffee shops every day, but there are two or three I sometimes go

I remember my grandpa’s razor. He died when I was a child, but I remember seeing his old one-blade razor sitting by the mirror at my grandparents’ home when I was going over to visit. It was a sturdy, wooden razor with a steel head. The head unscrewed so the blade would fit inside it.

The elderly man stood just outside the door of the local grocery store. He waited as if maybe he was thinking about going back in, as if he had forgotten something. Then, it became clear why he was waiting. Slowly and carefully he pushed the door open and held it as an elderly woman with

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The season of Lent began on March 5 with a commemoration called Ash Wednesday. Lent is a period of 40 days when Christians prepare themselves for the arrival of Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and the hope this provides. During Lent, the Church actively

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — It’s an often-used saying: Don’t judge someone until you are willing to walk a mile in his shoes. However, its power never diminishes. The biblical term for seeking to feel or connect with another is “compassion.” The original (Greek) word means “to suffer with.” Better said, when someone suffers,

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — From the very beginning of time, humans have wrestled with the fact that we are all created with differences. In fact, there are entire groups of people who differ from other groups. We humans tend to flock toward those most like us in appearance and preferences. Sometimes we do

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — David McCullough is one of the most popular historians and writers of the past 50 years. Although he passed away in 2022 at the age of 89, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author made past presidents like John Adams and Missouri’s own Harry Truman, as well as important figures like the

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — “Without counsel, plans fail; but with many advisers, they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). This is just one of many passages in both the Old and New Testaments where we are advised to seek the counsel of others. A popular saying related to that idea goes like this: “There’s a reason

I remember throwing the book across the room. It was my final year in graduate school, and I picked a major paper topic over a controversial writer who was well-known for causing controversy. He was brilliant, but he wrote in an aggressive way that challenged most readers, especially those from my background, in many ways.

By Charles Christian Best-selling Christian author Phillip Yancey wrote that although he loves cards depicting the manger scene, he feels they give us the truest picture of Christmas. The events leading up to the birth of Jesus were not quiet, serene or even orderly, according to the portrayal in the Gospels. Mary and her husband,

By Charles Christian There’s something powerful about music. It’s not just the fact that it is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. Nor is it that hundreds of millions of people in the world at some point in their lives have played or tried to play a musical instrument. Music has a kind of power. Many

By Charles Christian I remember the sight of my then-3-year-old son standing outside of his birthday party venue. We were there early to set up, but he didn’t realize that. So, as we were finishing the early setup, getting ready to go back home and come back later for the party, he looked sadly out

By Charles Christian We are in a fast-moving, fast-paced world. We have access to information literally at our fingertips. We have multiple calendars that map out our weeks and remind us of our deadlines. Whether we are in bumper-to-bumper traffic or sitting still at our desks, we consistently have the feeling that we’re “on the

By Charles Christian The little boy kept erasing and erasing his math homework. He broke his pencil lead and had to resharpen it. Then he nearly tore his eraser off his pencil as he struggled with several of the problems in front of him. His mother came in and saw his consternation. She also saw

By Charles Christian Studies show a strong link between thankfulness and happiness. Researchers say that when we express gratitude or even concentrate on things we are thankful for, the brain releases neurotransmitters that evoke happiness or joy. It seems no coincidence that the Bible consistently reminds us to give thanks and be thankful. For instance,

By Charles Christian A short-lived 1980s television comedy series called “Square Pegs” followed a group of high school students from a variety of backgrounds trying to fit in. Predictably, as is true in many real-life high school situations, they always come up a bit short when it comes to fitting in or “feeling normal.” Somehow,

By Charles Christian While we have all seen the “Welcome” signs in various states, I have also run across the “Now Leaving” signs: “You are now leaving California,” etc. Of course, these signs give away to pranks like one I recently saw online: “You are now leaving New York … Last person out, please turn