2 Corinthians 6:14 Is About So Much More Than Marriage




Sebastian Pichler



Did you know I write a monthly article for subscribers to my email list?

I just sent this month's out, and I think it turned out pretty good. (Of course, I might be a bit biased.) Here's how it begins:



If Ridgeview Elementary School no longer conducts three-legged races, it’s probably my fault.
When your contest ends with two second-graders on the ground wailing in pain, administrators tend to reconsider the merits of such activities.
As you know from Under The Sun, I’ve always been a super competitive guy. Call it nature or call it nurture; I enjoy competing. So on that sunny day at Ridgeview when they linked my right ankle with the left of classmate Elizabeth, my blood started pumping in anticipation of that word, “Go!”
But if you know anything about three-legged races, you know success relies more upon coordination than determination. As such, forcefully running down the field even if it means dragging your companion through the dandelions, would not be a good strategy. Maybe someone should have told me that earlier.


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What You Miss When You Miss Church

Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house? Luke 2:49




The sound of a modem connecting to the internet can be disconcerting the first time you hear it.

The uninitiated might conclude this is how robots communicate with one another or that aliens have finally invaded earth, or worse yet, that his or her computer is about to explode. For all of you youngsters out there who have not had the joy of listening to the noises generated in the modem-dialing procedure, I’d recommend you YouTube it just for edification.

The process begins simple enough with a typical dial tone followed by dialing. Then the magic happens.

You might hear a couple of beeps then noises so diverse and bizarre English’s onomatopoeia has yet to catch up. Although I’m sure brighter wordsmiths than yours truly could conjure up better descriptions, I would describe the dial up sound like this. Imagine a man at the beach with a bird on his shoulders. The bird is attempting to squawk repeatedly with a beak full of water while the man strikes a triangle in rapid succession. Behind the fowl and human, construction is underway on a new condominium. And in an instant, a tsunami force wave envelopes them all.

Now imagine all of this cacophony digitized and auto-tuned to a key unbeknownst to even the most progressive musicians. Yeah, it's kind of like that.

And yet, while that sound is far from melifluous, for me in late 2002 it brought much anticipation.

How to Survive Tranquility

Did you know I write a monthly article just for email subscribers? It's true! Ask anybody.



Photo by Khurt Williams


I just sent this month's out, and it's about how to rest even when you have ten million things to do. Here's how it starts:


When you discover you have spent over a day of your life playing a game called Cooking Fever two emotions descend upon you.
First is dismay at the incredulity of logging over thirty-four hours in a meaningless casual Kindle Fire app. Second is depression at the amount of time wasted in such trivial pursuits. (As opposed to the board game Trivial Pursuit, which, plainly put, is never a waste of time.) Such is the wave of feelings I experienced yesterday upon stumbling across my gaming statistics. I didn’t know Amazon even logged those kinds of things.
If you’ve read my first book, Do No Work, then you know I have struggled with balancing work and rest—between checking boxes and allowing myself to breathe. And based on the response I received from the book, I know many of you do too. I call this the Mary-Martha dilemma.


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5 Reasons You Should Think Twice Before Skipping the Book of Numbers

The fourth book of the Bible gets a bad rap. First, there’s the title. The word “numbers” scares away math phobic people to begin with. And even if you’re not afraid of arithmetic, who would want to read an entire book called Numbers?


Jazmin Quaynor




For those brave enough to crack open its pages, many still will turn away after realizing what it’s all about: a census. Imagine downloading the US Census data and reading the names of every person with the last name Smith. Yeah, it’s kind of like that. At least that’s how Numbers begins. Even for someone like me who happens to love the book, all those names often leave me dizzy or comatose. But if you can muscle through the censuses and genealogies, you’ll be rewarded by one of the richest and most bizarre narratives in the entire Bible. From talking donkeys to spontaneous serpent outbreaks, here are five reasons you should think twice before skipping the book of Numbers.


Why You'll Never Hear the Fourth Verse of the Star-Spangled Banner

Freedom is the cornerstone of Christianity.
Brennan Manning[1]


Alex Martinez


To hear my pastor tell it, America, as she stands today, is a post-Christian nation.

When I first heard him say so a couple of years ago, I pushed back against his assertion, citing the swath of strong Christian values entrenched in the Bible belt.

Nevertheless as time marches on, I begin to see what he saw.

Before I continue though, I must say that from my perspective, the United States of America is the greatest nation on earth. This does not mean we haven’t done reprehensible things. This does not mean we don’t have some serious cultural defects or systemic political corruption. We have and we do. But the US constitution strikes a precious balance between freedom and protection like no other. (If only politicians and judges would bother to read it.) But more on that in a moment.

As an ancillary piece of evidence in favor of the post-Christian argument, consider the fourth verse of the Star-Spangled Banner:

Are You Afraid of the Holy Ghost?

When I hear of modern day “prophets” or faith healers, I cringe. When I read about the spiritual gift of healing or speaking in tongues, I scoff.

I tend to reject these things outright.



Toa Heftiba







And yet, the Bible—a collection of books I hold to be authentic, reliable, and authoritative—speaks of prophecy, spiritual gifts, tongues. God granted the disciples power to heal others.

Am I a hypocrite?

Why Was Jesus Baptized?

Had it not been for actor Simon Pegg’s loose lips, Daniel Craig’s cameo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens might still be a secret—a private joke among cast and a personal thrill for Craig, famous for his role as James Bond in Spectre and Skyfall.

Alexander S. Kunz




In May 2015, the seventh “episode” of Star Wars was seven months from its theatrical release. But this was the first Star Wars film in a decade, and the picture had the backing of new rights holder, Disney, which had selected wunderkind JJ Abrams as director. All of these elements combined to generate the highest fan expectations since Jar Jar Binks dashed their hopes in 1999.

Therefore, fans (myself included) lapped up any news related to the film, substantiated or not. I remember one Iowa Walmart employee accidentally set out some Force Awakens toys a week early thereby revealing some plot elements of the film. 

In short, the internet-fueled water cooler talk was ablaze with frenzied anticipation for what fans hoped was a return to the genius of the original Star Wars trilogy.

What I Read In 2016

One of the reasons I wanted to become an author is because of my love of reading. I am fascinated by books, and can’t visit someone’s home or office without spying what’s on his or her shelf. (Don’t take me to a library unless you’re in it for the long haul.)

Because I always find it interesting what other people are reading, I thought you might enjoy knowing which books I have been reading. (By the way, I’m on Goodreads, and if we’re not friends, we should rectify that absurdity right now.)


Eli Francis




This list is not exhaustive. These are simply the books I read in 2016 I thought you might find interesting. (The links to each book are affiliate links, which just means I get a small commission if you buy them. It doesn’t cost you any extra.)


Restoring the Samaritan In Each of Us

I harbor a deep dark resentment in my heart for a certain type of people. Whether I know them or not, I prejudge them. They are the dregs of society. A scourge on decency and an abomination.

Aidan Meyer







I’m referring, of course, to fans of the Denver Broncos.

Allow me to elaborate.