Picking a Local Church: I wonder how often people choose a specific local church for what is really nothing more than a preference based on their temperament and personality (the two are not the same, with the first being part of what comprises the second). If someone is relaxed and easygoing, then a nondenominational church might appeal to them. If someone wants security, maybe they choose a local church rooted in a strong and enduring demonination. Or maybe someone is Anglican or Roman Catholic because they prefer liturgy out of a personal preference for routine, ritual, and consistency. Who knows! But something that C.S. Lewis writes always rings in the back of my mind. When looking for a local church, he said that the ultimate question should be: “Is holiness here?”
Meditating on Demonic Words: Yea, I wrote that to get your attention. Have you ever read through C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters? It is a conversation between a high-ranking demon named Screwtape and his underling, Wormwood. Wormwood has been assigned to a specific human being. He fails at keeping the guy from becoming a Christian early on, but the rest of the book consists of conversations/letters between the two on how they can recapture his soul so that he is of no use to Heaven. The book is so insightful. Have you ever thought about changing things up in your time with the Lord and reading through this book? There is a letter for each day of the month. Funny note: Lewis wrote to his brother in the early 1940s that the idea of the book came to him while sitting through a very boring sermon.
Passive Income: I have been working on an online store (a link to my store) for a few years now. I sell digital educational products that center around philosophy, ethics, psychology, and religion. I have had several conversations with friends about similar topics. At some point, the idea of having passive income—”a type of unearned income that is acquired automatically with minimal labor to earn or maintain” (Wikipedia)—really got a hold of me. Do you have an idea? What would it take to begin? Who can you talk to? While it might seem far away, where could you be if you chip away at the idea one day at a time for the next three years?
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 