April 12th, 2012 by Meg Biallas
Consider these statistics:
· If Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest in the world.
· eReaders have surpassed traditional book sales.
· YouTube is the second-largest search
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April 5th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
Several years ago my older brother received a call on his cell phone from my sister. She was in tears. Between sobs she pronounced her overwhelmed status. My sister is probably one of the most patie
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March 30th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
The following excerpt is from a newspaper in Tennessee:
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March 21st, 2012 by Janet Magee
Editor’s Note: Janet Magee is the founder of Blue Sunday. You can read her story here.
We have a saying, “If everyone did a little we would see big results in the battle to stop child abuse.
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March 14th, 2012 by John Crupper
This commentary first appeared at Crosswalk.com on March 13, 2012.
“I didn’t know what else to do. It got me on my knees.”
Difficult circumstances have a unique way of pressing us onto our
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March 7th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
I have two wonderful roommates. One is very responsible and patient and the other, rather talkative and not so patient. I enjoy spending time with both of them but, because the latter is always up for
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February 24th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
Some experiences have a way of peeling our eyes open in a new way. These same experiences, when shared, are akin to a defibrillator for the hearers – waking each one to entirely new way of thinking,
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February 16th, 2012 by Meg Biallas
I stood waiting for the bus on another bright and chilly morning in the northeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. A young mother approached the bus shelter with three children in tow. As she came closer,
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February 7th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
Babies cry. Their only method of communication can unnerve even the most patient, sleep-deprived parent enough to react. The reaction, however, is most often to enlist additional support via their spo
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February 2nd, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
Several years back, a few of us in the church I attended, started talking about how we might help our church better engage in the area of compassion ministry. Not just loving our neighbors, but loving
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January 27th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
I have spent most of my professional life working with homeless women and children, at-risk youth, and families involved with child welfare services. Those experiences have been key in shaping how I g
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January 19th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
"Blessed to have two parents in the home. Yes it makes a difference!"
Angela posted this as her Facebook status last week. The 20-year-old grew up in Cabrini Green, the notorious crime-ridden, gove
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January 11th, 2012 by Brandon Walker
“Mrs. Cron! Mrs. Cron! I need your help!” As a second grader at West Elementary in Jonesboro, Arkansas, this plea was sure to draw a reaction that we all loved: the “Mrs. Cron spin.” Whenever
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January 4th, 2012 by Renee Pettinger
Lee Anne is a wife and a mother. Lee Anne is also a home-based parent coach. Specifically, Lee Anne goes into the homes of families who have open cases with foster care and child protective services.
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December 29th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
This is the time of year for counting. In an effort to decipher what has had the most impact, social media sites are combing over 2011 and spewing out their various top ten lists. Ours is not a top te
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December 22nd, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Luke 2:10
Wrapped in our seasonal trappings, these remain the glad tidings we trumpet today. We descend like an
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December 16th, 2011 by Rob Kendall
We finally made it! After years of struggling and sometimes failing, we had achieved the American Dream. My wife, Meredith, and I each owned our own businesses and in January of 2002 we had reached
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December 9th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
Holly sat sideways on the couch. She appeared to be trying to decipher what was being spoken between her boyfriend’s body language and his words. I think she gave up after awhile, sensing his authen
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December 2nd, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
A young pastor in Franklin, Tennessee once described Scott Roley as one of the fathers of the community – a pillar in this city of nearly 62,000. I first met this friendly, unassuming patriarch a fe
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November 18th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
"The harvest we wake up to tomorrow is entirely dependent on the seeds that we sow today.”
These were the first words from Freddie Scott II at the panel in Brentwood,TN last week when I asked him
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November 11th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
“This one has a different daddy”
Felicity: her name is supposed to invoke happiness. When she was small and rosy pink, I am confident that she was the very source of her mother’s delight.
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November 4th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
“Is social justice an essential part of the mission of the church?” This was the question posed last week to Jim Wallis, founder and President of Sojourners and R. Albert Mohler Jr., President o
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October 28th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
Headlines like this are supposed to grab our attention and induce the appropriate groaning that will – hopefully – plunge an army of advocates into action. Last week’s BBC investigation, A
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October 27th, 2011 by
Bruce is the pastor of The Glade Church (Gladesville Baptist Church) in Wilson County, TN. This message was recently delivered at the Wilson County Baptist Association annual meeting.
http://vimeo.
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October 21st, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
Student: “This is hard!”
Teacher: “Good… you were made for it.”
Elizabeth Conde-Frazier, Dean of Esperanza College, explained this real-life interaction as she admonished a room of
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September 15th, 2011 by Renee Pettinger
Last week Dr. John Fuder, professor of Urban Studies at Moody Theological Seminary, spoke at Christ Community Church in Aurora, IL as a part of their Community Impact weekend. Listening to this took
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August 15th, 2011 by John Crupper
The following article was written by Shepherding the Next Generation National Director, John Crupper, and appeared in Crosswalk.com on Aug. 10, 2011.
In 1976, while a Medic in the Air Force, I work
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