Author: Patrice

Many of us are happy when the mailbox is empty. No junk mail or bills! But for others, particularly shut-ins, it means no communication from the outside world or from family and friends. Staying in touch has changed over the generations, and as I contemplate how different things are from my childhood, my mind wandered further back in time. How did people communicate with friends and family who lived far away from one another in biblical times? They probably had a figuratively empty mailbox all the time. Or did they?

Email and other electronic communications have many advantages. We can receive a document immediately and share information with a large group of people instantly. We can even see pictures of someone’s vacation in present time – no more waiting on postcards that often arrived after the travelers had returned!
However, despite all the benefits, there are downsides too. Our quick fingers make it easy to say the wrong thing. We effortlessly hit “reply” on an email, “send” for a text, and “comment” on Facebook and then think that is not what I meant to say or those words didn’t come out right – at least I do. Then when I try to fix it, I only make it worse. Oh, and don’t forget how many people have gotten into trouble with Twitter – even ruined their careers! So in today’s post, we ask the question: Would Jesus use social media?

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9 NIV). 

 Phew – You’ve got this one down.

After all your parties rock.

You get compliments on your entertaining skills.

People have even told you to take up event planning as a career!

But is this how the Bible defines hospitality?

Devastated by my husband’s leaving, I was searching for advice on how to cope and move on. Were my ears deceiving me? Did this Christian counselor just tell me to prepare for more abandonment?

You see, my female counselor bought the lie that women aren’t capable of authentic friendships. Have you ever heard a woman say (or perhaps it was you), “Women are so catty” or “Females are so manipulative?” We trash our own sex and wonder why men say that women can’t be friends.