Search Results for: blog do you serve religion or christ

Anne Rice Changes Her Mind about Christianity…Sort Of

Remember when vampire queen Anne Rice announced she was a Christian? She had written the successful novels “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Vampire Lestat,” and “The Queen of the Damned.” Under the pseudonym of A.N. Roquelaure, she wrote three erotic novels. But, in 2004, Rice said in a Newsweek article that she would start writing “only for the Lord.” Some of her fans were put out a bit by this news, but she was true to her word. In 2005, Rice wrote “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt” about the early years of Jesus Christ. She followed that up with … Continue reading →

Religion in Genealogy Part 3: Huguenots and Doukhobors

Through history, many religious groups have dealt with persecution, sometimes being forced to flee their countries. Two of these groups where the Huguenots and Doukhobors. Huguenots Prior to starting my genealogy research, I never heard the word Huguenot, much less knew what it meant. However, while researching my great-grandmother’s family, I discovered that some of my ancestors fled from France during the mid-17th century to escape religious persecution (discrimination/mistreatment). They were Huguenots-members of the Protestant Reformed Church, inspired by the writings of John Calvin, a 16th-century pastor. Calvin’s writings reject religions, such as Roman Catholicism, and believe that God has … Continue reading →

Romancing Candlemas: Light Your Fire with Old Traditions

Before Valentine’s Day comes Candlemas. (Which is also known as Groundhog’s Day in some circles. However, for our purposes –which is to bring romance into our lives on February 2– I’m sticking with the day’s more poetic name.) What is Candlemas? It all started back in ancient times with Imbolc, a pagan ceremony that celebrated the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Gaelic and Irish cultures (pre-Christianity) dedicated the day to Brigid, goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft. Christian’s later continued the tradition by honoring it as St. Brigid’s Day. The day’s main purpose was to … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Pure Religion

The lesson this week was taken from the book of James in the Bible and is focused on the topic of pure religion as defined in James 1:27: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. When we read the part about visiting the fatherless and the widows, this of course brings to mind the qualities of charity and compassion. This is pure religion indeed, to be the hands of the Lord on earth, to serve them as He would … Continue reading →

On Homeschooling and Religion, Part 1

Many people make comments about homeschooling being for religious fanatics. They say that homeschoolers are trying to isolate their kids to teach them Christian view-point and creationism solely. My response is generally that I know many homeschoolers that are not Christian, not to mention religious fanatics. However, there is so much more that I would like to say. While it is a fact that my reason for homeschooling has absolutely nothing to do with my Christianity, I quickly realized the treasures that homeschooling held. My kids can study their religion freely. My children do not have to feel uncomfortable expressing … Continue reading →

Christians and Adoption

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Have you noticed how common adoption is among Christians? While meeting our first case worker, this topic came up and got me thinking about why Christians might feel so drawn to this path to parenthood. Initially I thought Christian families might have a heart to adopt mainly so they could be a light to children who’ve been wounded in the past, using adoption as sort of a ministry opportunity. I think there is more to it than that though. While it’s true many Christians do have quite a heart to help others, I believe the Spirit of the Lord is … Continue reading →

Favorite LDS Doctrinal Books

Each religious sect is blessed to have books written by knowledgeable members of their church that define and clarify different points of doctrine. I would like to share with you, in no particular order, some books written for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have particularly enjoyed. I invite you to share doctrinal books from other sects in the comment trail as well. 1. “The Miracle of Forgiveness” by Spencer W. Kimball. This book outlines the meaning of sin, the consequences of it, and the way back to full fellowship. While there is a … Continue reading →

Using Secular Tradition to Glorify God: Christmas

The Christmas holiday is a favorite for so many. I love visiting the mall and smelling the cinnamon potpourri and seeing the beautifully lit wreaths. I enjoy hearing the instrumental melodies declaring the birth of our Savior, but sadly no words are sung out of concern for “offending” others. I love the tastes of the season; pumpkin pie, gingerbread lattes, eggnog… While there are so many things that make this time of year special, we ought not to forget what Christmas should really be about for a Christian. If you’ve read some of my other blogs (please visit the links … Continue reading →

Doom and Gloom—Finding Hope in Jesus

I don’t know anyone who particularly enjoys reading about doom and gloom. Have you ever had one of those moments where you just sit and ponder life and the direction society is taking it, or what your future will bring? Yes, that’s where I’m at now. I’m pretty sure I’m over analyzing things. Sometimes I wonder if I get stuck in a rut of thought opening myself to the enemy’s whispers of lies and hopelessness. Those thoughts need to be rebuked. I know too, it’s often times like this where I come to a better understanding about myself and am … Continue reading →

Do You Serve Religion or Christ?

This is a really a topic that you must know I write with the best intentions. I’ve blogged such topics as Religion vs. Faith, False Teachers, Sunday Christians and The Occult, just to name a few. But today I really want to view a slightly different facet; I want to address the definition of Christianity and touch on people’s fascination with religion. There is real danger in getting wrapped up in a religious mindset. Consider this blog the tie that binds the blogs I’ve mentioned. To be honest with you, I’m not sure what to even call myself anymore. I’m … Continue reading →