Mental Musings

What is a family? “Families can be difficult, they can be comforting, they can be frustrating, they can be wonderful. Love 'em or hate 'em, families are one of the biggest influences on our lives. So much of our personalities, our emotions, our dreams, our fears, all come from our families. “So, with something so important, naturally, social scientists need to define it. A family, by definition, is a group of people affiliated by a specific relationship. Basically, the family is the most fundamental unit of social organization that with which we most intimately identify. Your family influences your personal, emotional, intellectual, and social development, so if you really need to know who you are, look no further. It really is all in the family. (Christopher Muscato, professor at University of Northern Colorado) God gave us some important instructions for the family. Today we focus on the core of the family: husbands and wives. Many families in our

Everyone has felt the sting of rejection. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because the editor felt he lacked imagination before going on to create the highly imaginative Disney company. Oprah Winfrey was fired as a news reporter because she was too emotional attached to her stories before she made it big as a talk show host. After a performance at the Grand Old Opry, Elvis Presley was told that he should return to Memphis and drive trucks for a living because he would never make it in music. Lucille Ball’s drama instructors tried to get her to go into another field because she just didn’t have what it takes to be an actress. 1   I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit—  2  that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart.  3  For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood. (Romans 9:1-3) Israel’s Rejection Today we t

Have you ever known someone who was not very consistent? You know the type: not dependable, always late, rarely finish assigned tasks, float from job to job and relationship to relationship, and never seem to do what they say they will do. In classical deductive logic, a consistent theory is one that does not contain a contradiction. When we are talking about a person’s life, we say that consistency means that you walk to talk. Walk the Talk 15  Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—  16  making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  17  So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  18  And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:15-18) Paul shares several examples in this passage of how you can walk the talk. He cautions us to not be foolish in how we think or act, but to understand what God wants for us and from us. To do this, we must co

Have you ever been inside a deep cave? Some of these caves are so secluded from any light source that if they were to lose electricity you would be in absolute darkness. You wouldn’t even be able to see you hand if it was directly in front of your face. Darkness seems to be extremely powerful, however, it only takes one small candle to extinguish the dark. As we continue our series from Ephesians, we learn that we are to be children of the light. 8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—  9  for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—  10  discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10) Once Upon a Time This passage reads almost like a classic story. Once upon a time you were part of the darkness. You were floundering around through life blind and lost. Everything around you was filled with darkness, deceit, desire, disruption, despair. You could see no hope, no light, no