Author: Erick Neuman
Musical artist Phil Joel brings an independent spirit to the legendary group Newsboys, standing out while composing cohesive music and lyrics that unite the group’s sound. And so, it is with great success that Phil branches out into solo work. Here, his style can freely breathe as he shares intimate, mysterious lyrics combined with decades of musical influences peppered throughout each song on his new album, Better Than I Found It. He was as much interested in hearing my thoughts on his work as I was in deciphering the meaning behind some of the lyrics. It’s this generous attitude toward…
A sports advocacy group is suing Minnesota’s attorney general on behalf of three female softball players over a state policy that allows males to compete in female sports. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit legal group, filed a lawsuit earlier this week on behalf of Female Athletes United (FAU) to remove transgender athletes from softball, and particularly a trans pitcher who is dominating the sport. FAU is an organization that advocates to protect fairness, safety, and equal opportunity for women and girls in sports, ADF reports. Some of the organization’s members include three high school softball players who have…
I think that we can all agree that the last 15 months have challenged us in ways that we never thought were possible. Everything has changed in how we live our daily lives. Because of this people are rethinking even the smallest of details. Why? Because life as we know just doesn’t feel quite right. Popular author and speaker Christine Caine wants to help people figure out how they ended up in their current situation, but more importantly, show them how to “course correct” their lives to find better days. In her latest book, How Did I Get Here?, she offers practical…
It turns out mom was right! As I’ve matured, I’ve come to that realization repeatedly. How about you? As it turns out, it really does save time to do something right the first time. We absolutely should be kind to others. And… we can’t keep burning the candle at both ends—at least, not forever. That last one is what popped into my mind as I was reading Numbers 29. Now, I’m the first to admit that I groan a little (forgive me, Lord) when anything from the book of Numbers is in my Bible reading for the day. Today,…
When Dan Bellamy was preparing for a missions trip to Jamaica during his senior year of high school, he was introduced to the art of balloon sculpting. He was only going to pick up a few tricks from his instructor (a professional clown), but soon the student surpassed the teacher and a new interest and eventual career in ministry was born. “I had no expectations of making it more than a hobby during college or long after college. You know, it crossed my mind during seminary, but I never really took it seriously.” Now in the midst of 2020’s global pandemic, Certified…
The author of twelve books on personal development, an international speaker, life coach, and founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute, Valorie Burton shares about her latest book Life Coaching for Successful Women and her free 8-module online course “How to Coach Yourself” (available with the purchase of her book from any bookstore). Her passion is for women to understand what holds them back and to learn how to break the negative cycle that is keeping them from fully achieving their dreams. Valorie believes that life is about knowing why you are here and living your life purposefully. She has overcome many…
Despite the current restrictions of COVID-19, the live music scene will eventually come back. During this time of silence and staying at home, music listeners have been forced to find alternatives to feel the power and presence of something that has always been available. For now, that collective feeling of community through song has been put on hold. But there is hope. Multi-platinum selling Hillsong UNITED has just released a full-length live album and concert film experience (on Amazon Prime) called, “The People Tour: Live at Madison Square Garden”. Filmed prior to the global pandemic, the new project features a…
WASHINGTON, D.C. and JERUSALEM – Israeli embassies worldwide are on heightened security after the murders of two embassy workers in Washington, D.C. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime and an act of terrorism. The killing of the young Jewish couple, who were staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, has shocked the world. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were gunned down while leaving an event for young diplomats to discuss strategies for helping civilians in Gaza and build peace at the Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday night. The suspect is charged with the murder of foreign officials. Court…
A Big Win Todd pastored a small Mississippi church for over a decade until 2020 when Brooke encouraged him to try out for The Voice. Although he regularly sang in church, Todd did not sing professionally. When he sang, “We’ve Got Tonight” he blew the judges away, getting all four chairs to turn. For the finals, Todd sang “I Can Only Imagine.” Kelly Clarkson was nearly brought to tears, saying she wanted to come to his church just to hear him speak, not only to sing. He chose Blake Shelton as his coach. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic,…
It was early in the morning on July 15th, 2020 when Ailyn Tan was awakened by her husband, Jim, who was making strange noises. Ailyn recalls, “So, I nudged him, and I said, ‘Hey, you didn’t wear your CPAP.’ And there was still no response.” That’s when Ailyn, a critical care nurse for 26 years, pulled open the curtains to check on him. She says, “He was mildly purple. His eyes were open, darted to the upper left-hand side, and he was foaming in the mouth. And so, I gave him a quick slap on his cheek. And he wouldn’t respond…