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Should Protestants Participate in Lent?
Should Protestants participate in Lent? It’s Fat Tuesday and people are racing to decide what to give up for Lent. In Christian circles, I’ve seen a lot of debate over how to or who should participate in Lent. While my initial answer on this will be clear as mud, hopefully it will make sense to those in the same place I am spiritually. The answer is yes and no. No, they SHOULD not. The Bible doesn’t outline Lent as a requirement of the faith. We need to be cautious in adding things to what the Bible says salvation requires. John 20:31 ESV But these are written so that you may believe…
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Previewing
Today isn’t going to be super deep, just celebrating getting something right and seeing the fruits of my preparation blossom, and I wanted to share this skill because I know I’ve seen how this improves our lives time and time again. Something I have seen as a teacher is the importance of previewing activities. As a teacher, we preview to help students understand the objectives in a new lesson, to tie in previous learning to the new skills, and to clarify the purpose and procedure of the activity. Previewing is literally the best tool in my parenting toolbox because it prevents issues. Rather than be reactive to a crisis, previewing…
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The Magic in the Faith of a Child and how to handle a young, seeking heart
The faith of a child is magical. In my own child, I’ve seen clarity of understanding and richness of devotion that was simply beyond human explanation. Her faith is so incredibly rich, it has encouraged mine in return. While we cannot take credit, if we point them in His direction, God does truly work in them in ways we cannot understand. If only we all had such faith. I know it isn’t magic, but it is supernatural. I realized the incredible beauty in the sweet faith of a child as I watched my daughter developing her own faith as a very young child. But the magical part is how God…