The Keener Way

    In case I've never told you, Ted Dekker is one of my most favorite authors. His work is one of my primary inspirations within my own writing journey. And this week, I'm revisiting his Forgotten Way study. And let me tell you... WOW. I first went through it several years ago, and it impacted me to a degree at that point. But I was also way younger and way more immature. Now, especially with all the things the Lord has been teaching me over the last two years, Ted's insights are hitting me even harder.And that's just the intro chapter that I read yesterday night. Lemme quote you what he said. "The preeminent evidence shown by those who know the Father is this: love . And not just any love, but the unique kind that loves enemies, not only those who show us love in return. A love that is patient, showing no jealousy or arrogance, keeping no record of wrong, not seeking its own and not provoked by another's behavior." This is the powerful agape love that th...

     In a debate group that I am part of, the topic recently surfaced, if we are once saved, are we always saved. This immediately became a hot topic, with many members weighing in.      At first, while I had my leanings, I was undecided which side of the debate I adhered to. After all, why does it matter ultimately? We do well to live as though we could lose our salvation, according to Philippians 2:12, which says, "Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. "      But for the sake of argument, I spent the next several days pouring over scripture, trying to find any and all patterns of rejection and redemption. Do we have examples of known saved people rejecting and thus losing their salvation?      The reality is, we don't. We simply do not know the state of a man's heart. Only God knows. So if ...

    Today, I've got something unique to bring to the table. A friend of mine/adopted sister, Lissie, has been working on creating a history podcast with a friend named Simmons. They just launched a few days ago, and being something of a history fanatic myself, I readily agreed to share and promote their podcast. And what a better way to launch than a discussion about pirates?  Lissie and Simmons bring to the table two figures from history: Jean-Francios Roberval, a privateer that straddled the line of Pirating and Privateering And Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, a feared pirate of 1717.   Join the Inkdrinker Historians for their two-part series on the true pirates of the Caribbean.    Other places you can find Lissie and Simmons: Instagram handle: @inkdrinker_historians Lissie's Blog: Lissie's Ramblings (.wordpress.com)   This podcast is a new adventure for the duo, so if you enjoy learning new things about history, give them a listen and hit...