Today's Christian articles from November 2007

Today's Christian archives from November 2007

Giving thanks.(The FinePrint)
November 1, 2007... In recent years, my monthly visits to the barber have ended with me lamenting the ever-widening bald spot at the top of my head. At first my barber, Frank, denied the severity of the problem. I knew I was in trouble last year when he...

Sleep talking.(Kids oftheKingdom)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... During my senior year of college, my 12-year-old sister, Rachel, sang and acted in a Christmas production at our church. I missed seeing her performance, but a week later, I went home and talked with her about the musical. She lamented the...

Just between you and ...(Kids oftheKingdom)(telling secrects)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... In hiding a birthday present for another member of the family, my sister Margie asked her little 4-year-old granddaughter, Lindsey, if she could keep a secret. Her eyes got big and she answered, "Oh yes, Grandma! I can! But sometimes the...

Beware the toothsayer.(Kids oftheKingdom)
November 1, 2007... While eating strawberries, I told our 9-year-old son, John, his teeth looked pink. When I asked him if my teeth looked pink, he replied, "No, they're yellow." --Carolyn Cunningham, Powder Springs, Georgia

I want vanilla!(Kids oftheKingdom)
November 1, 2007... One Sunday I was attending my brother's Catholic church. During one part of the mass, the altar server began ringing hand bells. Suddenly, the solemn moment was interrupted by a wide-eyed little boy's breathless announcement: "Daddy, the ice...

It's a Wonderful Life after all.(Quick Takes)
November 1, 2007... Karolyn Grimes loves December. She looks forward to trimming the tree, playing her favorite carols, and decking the halls of her home outside Seattle. And like millions of other Americans, Karolyn loves to watch It's a Wonderful Life and The...

An artist's joy.(QuickTakes)(Interview)
November 1, 2007... "Christmas is my favorite holiday," says popular graphic artist Aliza McCracken. And in her enchanting books of art and poetry, including Spirit of Joy and Creative Abundance, you can feel the joy of the season. (Check out her work at...

"Do you hear what I hear?" Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, "do you hear what I hear?".(Story BehindTheSong)
November 1, 2007... In Christmas 2005 God inspired popular singer/songwriter Todd Agnew to try something new. Known for such thoughtful and hard-driving songs as "Grace Like Rain" and "My Jesus," Agnew assumed he understood everything about the Christmas story....

Talking dirty.(Everyday Theology)
November 1, 2007... Q. My roommate often swears in God's name--"God-this" and "God-that." When I tell him it's wrong, he challenges me to prove it. Is there a verse in the Bible I could show him that says we shouldn't curse like that--or at all? ...

Over the limit?(Everyday Theology)
November 1, 2007... Q. I work in a restaurant where I'm required to serve alcoholic beverages. It really bothers me--I feel like it's a sin. But in our small town, this is the only job I'm qualified for, at which I can make enough money to pay my bills. I do...

Angels we have heard.(Bible IQ)
November 1, 2007... Angels have become part of the pop culture landscape, often appearing as cuddly and adorable tykes with wings, and many people think of them as "spiritual pets" at their beck and call. Such images are a long way from the angels of the Bible,...

Counting her blessings: in good times and bad, TV news anchor Deborah Norville believes in the power of gratitude--and the faith that inspires it.(Interview)
November 1, 2007... It's one of the first simple phrases our parents teach us--two little words we learn to use automatically, and often without thought. But can just saying "thank you" actually make us happier, healthier, and more energetic? In her new book,...

The blood banker: in facing death, my teenage daughter discovered her purpose in life--and helped me rediscover mine.
November 1, 2007... "There's no easy way to tell you this," lamented the doctor that day in January of 1992. "It's what we feared. Avery aggressive type of leukemia. One-third of those diagnosed die within 30 days. I'm sorry" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My...

Time to fly: I was convinced my daughter was ready to leave the nest--until two little birds taught me otherwise.
November 1, 2007... My daughter, Amanda, had recently turned 21, and I was ready for her to leave home. Yes, I was! I know there are some mothers who say they never want their children to leave, but I am not one of them. As a matter of fact, I'm an advocate of...

Minding their business: by teaching entrepreneurship and Christian values, Entrenuity founder Brian Jenkins is helping teenagers develop a better plan for their futures.
November 1, 2007... Isaiah Williams needed money--fast. Only 19, and about to become a father, he wanted to provide his child with everything he could. Williams heard about the Entrenuity Summer Business Camp, a faith-based program in the Chicago area created to...

Mafia princess: as a mobster's wife I had wealth, prestige, and power. But it took God's healing to bring me true happiness.
November 1, 2007... I was a mafia princess. I know--it sounds like something straight out of The Sopranos, dangerous and exciting. The truth is much less glamorous, and I don't look back on any of it with relish. In fact, I'd prefer to keep those now-unpleasant...

When opportunity knocks: country singer Buddy Jewell has a foolproof recipe for success--wait for God to open a door.
November 1, 2007... Country artist Buddy Jewell's smile lights up his whole face. And he's still smiling, despite losing the major-label recording deal he'd dreamed of for years. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I look at it like this: God gave me that first...

Carving a new life: my world was consumed by drugs and violence, until God used the gift of woodworking to shape me into a different person.
November 1, 2007... I grew up on a family farm in the Andean mountains where we raised cattle and grew coffee and bananas. I loved the smell of cooking "panela" when we boiled the sugar cane to make brown sugar. But at age 12, my paradise shattered. The heavy...

Turkmenistan: crackdown on Christians.(Persecution Report)
November 1, 2007... Vyacheslav Kalataevsky, a Baptist church leader from the city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea, was arrested on March 12, 2007, by Turkmenistan's secret police. Two days later he was charged with illegally crossing the border in 2001. This...

The last laugh.(Cartoon)
November 1, 2007... "As I understand it, Christmas is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of the first credit card." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]