Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Saturday, December 21, 2013 11:33 AM
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Greg: "What's a Word Worth?"
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Tuesday, May 8, 2012 3:56 AM
After losing game two of the NBA playoff series with the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire took out his frustration on a fire extinguisher. Angry and disappointed, he drew back his fist and crashed it into the glass case that was holding it. The fire extinguisher won. Stoudemire had to have a huge gash in his hand stitched up and he missed the next important playoff game. My reaction to this story was pretty close to most everyone else’s – there’s another self-centered, immature athlete, acting out. He wasn’t thinking about his team or the fans. He was just immersed in himself and his own feelings. What’s sad is that, when I recall my own reactions to difficult situations, I probably react pretty much the same. No, I haven’t hit anything since I was in high school, but I can easily slip into a self-centered snit. I might pout or flare up and say something hurtful. Raise your hand if you can identify.
Greg: "On Being Free"
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Sunday, March 4, 2012 5:36 AM
Today, across the country, millions of Americans will worship freely in sanctuaries, auditoriums and homes. In Iran, though, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani sits in a prison cell, not certain of what this day or the next few weeks will bring. His wife and kids wait at home. His congregants wait prayerfully, and wonder if they might be next to be arrested.
Thankfully, our Congress and our President are applying appropriate pressure on the Iranian government. And. we have been joined by other nations and individuals who realize the injustice and the persecution is not acceptable.
Many of our brothers and sisters around the world face the same oppression as Pastor Nadarkhani. As free believers, we have the responsibility to pray for them, talk about them, remember them.
"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom. Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble."
Matthew 5:10-12
Greg: "A Night Not So Silent"
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:15 PM
We sing about a silent night, calm and peaceful.
It’s a pleasant picture,
But just how quiet was that night?
In a crowded city,
People, shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back
And in each others' faces.
All the places to stay were full.
The frustrated innkeepers loudly proclaiming
That there was just no more room.
The only space to be found was a smelly stable,
Cattle mooing, sheep bleating, donkeys braying.
A young woman, an out-of-towner,
In labor with her first child.
The Child is born,
And cries out greetings to His new world.
A star gleams brightly right overhead
Making the night almost as bright as day.
And then, there's that rejoicing,
Voices of the Angels of Heaven themselves.
And then, of simple shepherds
Who only moments before
Had been shaken by all the other-worldly chaos.
Now, in harmony,
With one voice,
Fortissimo.
Silent nights may be pleasant,
But I’ll save them for the times
That I must have rest.
I want my nativities to be loud.
Filled with laughter and love,
With the underpinning of hope.
And then, there’s that rejoicing,
Unmistakable and attractive.
Music, lights, and decorations,
Each one purposefully declaring
The Glory of God.
So that each one who passes
Through the doors of our home,
Family, friends, neighbors,
And even strangers,
Knows that this day deserves
Much more than passivity.
His birthday calls for noise.
Happy noise, loud noise, invigorating noise.
This night, I will not be silent.
Martha's Christmas Thoughts
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Sunday, December 18, 2011 4:05 AM
Exotic kings, bearing gifts. Unexpected, brilliant light from a star, moving low across a continent. And the night sky full of angels, singing songs no human ear has heard before or since. That’s the stuff a major event in the universe is made of.
That’s the part of the Christmas story that causes cease-fires, and brings nations and their rulers to their knees. That’s the event of the ages, and history and the future are changed forever because of it.
The glory of Heaven, folded and laid aside like a garment, exchanged for hungry shepherds, dusty and smelly from camping out with their animals for days on end,
a stable, with oxen and donkeys and dirt and earthy odors. That’s the stuff of poverty, all too ordinary even today, and though we try, not much has really changed it.
And so I hum along with my favorite carols on CD, and artfully arrange wise men and shepherds and angels and sheep in their gilded glory among the greenery and twinkle lights on my mantle, and plan for cookies and communion and family and alms, celebrating the event of the universe.
But from that box of straw where the King of all Ages slept in the form of a helpless baby, His road would lead him past a sea to a cup and a sword and a hill,
my hill, where He took my sin, my scorn, my disease and my shame, and died on a cross meant, from the beginning, for me.
And in the depth of my heart, far beyond even Christmas pageants and outreach and service and charity, I treasure the end of the story as much as the beginning. That’s the moment of redemption, and I am changed forever because of it.
Choosing To Change Our World
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Saturday, July 23, 2011 8:25 AM
This post is a little bit different than the others here. At the end, I’m going to invite you to become a part of something big that’s happening. But first…
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised when God does something out of the ordinary to emphasize a point. He’s done that often. But I’m still amazed when He involves Himself in the lives of people and weaves their stories together just so He can work His purposes through their lives.
When Martha and I wrote our new book, Let It Shine: Partnering With God To Raise World Changers, we were responding to an urgency we felt to encourage parents to build families with a mission in mind. We wanted them to create an atmosphere in their homes that allowed each person there to develop courage to live out their calling in the world where God has placed them.
In Orlando, Florida, Jason C. Dukes, a pastor and father of five is passionate about his church and his family “living sent” - being a letter from God communicating His love and hope in the message of their daily lives among everyone in their world. So, Jason authored the book, Live Sent: You Are A Letter. 
Mark Russell is the CEO of Russell Media in Boise, Idaho, and, for him, it’s all about the "BAM". "BAM" is “business as mission”, Mark’s business model. He is eager to share with others the practice of using business to strategically accomplish missional purposes, bringing God’s heart and message into the marketplace. He has written a book, The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission.
It wasn’t a coincidence that Martha and I have had the privilege of being connected with Jason and Mark. God placed within our hearts the same passion. And, New Hope Publishers has that passion, too. And we’re discovering that there are many others who do, too. I believe with all my heart that this is a theme that God wants to begin to infuse in all of us.
So this is where you come into the picture. As we’ve met people around the country, this summer, we’ve recognized that God is beginning to stir people to live a missional lifestyle. So many of you sense the same calling in your family, your church, your business, your everyday life, and New Hope has created a way you can participate with us.
During this coming week, if you buy two copies of our book, Let It Shine, New Hope will send you Live Sent and The Missional Entrepreneur, at no charge! The idea, then, is that you’ll give the second copy of Let It Shine to someone else who wants to live missionally, so that they can be encouraged.
Here’s a link to New Hope’s page that will direct you to the instructions about this opportunity:
http://www.newhopedigital.com/index.php/summer-special/
If you purchase the books on Amazon.com or ChristianBook.com, be sure that, after you read the books, you write a review there. If you have any questions, please email us at marthaandgreg@aol.com.
I woke up this morning with a great idea! If you buy two copies of Let It Shine, two of Live Sent, and two of The Missional Entrepreneur, you’ll have four copies of each book, twelve books total. That would be one set for you and three sets of the books that you could give to others.
Please share this opportunity with your friends, and post it on your Facebook and Twitter. The offer ends, next Saturday, July 30, so buy the books today! We’re so excited about what God can do through the message in these books and through your life as you choose to change your world!
There's A Dinosaur
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Tuesday, March 22, 2011 7:53 PM
There’s a dinosaur on my coffee table
Lurking right there behind the stack of imported trays
Piled with very expensive artificial apples and pears
His lumpy green plastic head lifted as a silent roar escapes his lurid mouth
I think my living room has never looked more lovely
There’s a dump truck on my kitchen window box,
Headed straight for the antique ceramic salt and pepper shakers,
Two metal star molds lying askew in its wake
With a plastic kid from the Fisher Price bus stuck underneath
An arrangement I find wonderfully uplifting in the morning sunlight
In the guest room, where one dark cactus green wall accents the deep gold of the others
And picks up the desert reds and rusts and blues of the designer spread,
Woody and Buzz Lightyear dominate from the Toy Story 3 sheets that cover the air mattress on the floor
And I think this might be the best room in my whole house
Precious clutter
Put there by a beloved little boy
Who will not play these games, with these toys,
For more than a moment
Before he moves on, with a speed that catches parents by surprise,
To Little League, and computer games, and first cars and first dates and dorm rooms and first jobs
And very rare visits where he makes his bed and hangs his towel and leaves by Sunday afternoon.
I know how this story ends, with perfect décor, and every detail in place
And empty drawers and closets with plenty of space
So now, I wander through the rooms my grandson left, taking pleasure in seeing how he played
Knowing that the hours he spends in joyful adventures at “G-Diddy’s house”
Are among the greatest treasures I will ever own.
Crayons, New Pencils, and Prayer
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Sunday, August 15, 2010 6:15 AM
As brand new boxes of crayons, tablets and colorful folders take front and center in stores, the excitement of new beginnings catches on, and parents begin shopping for book bags and blunt scissors and school shoes, eager to fully prepare their children for the approaching school year.
But for parents and kids alike, new situations also can produce new anxieties, and the most important preparation for every family member is prayer.
Whether our kids attend public, private, or parochial school, or we teach them at home, we need to remember that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but has in fact called us to take His message of redemption and hope to our neighbors and communities.
Discuss with your kids their individual roles, and your role as a family, in showing the love of Jesus. Let your children express their hopes and anxieties about the upcoming year. Talk about the needs you are aware of in your school and community.
Then, as a family, begin to pray for your elementary, middle and high schools. Pray for administrators, teachers, students and their families. Ask for God’s protection, His grace, His blessing, and pray that His truth will be evident in every class, and His love be revealed to the entire community. Even if you are active home schoolers, we would encourage you to make it a family project to pray regularly for your public schools.
An engaging, meaningful object lesson that will help your children visualize the effect of their prayers would be to read the story of Jericho in Chapter 6 of Joshua, and then in the evening walk the perimeter of your school, each family member silently praying for all who are connected with it, and for your own family’s interactions there. While it is certainly true that God will hear your prayers wherever you are, that mental picture can encourage your kids as they go through the blessings and challenges of the coming school year.
Make it a point this year to keep your prayers for your school and your passion for your neighbors and community as sharp as those bright new crayons, and see what beautiful things God will do in and through your family this school year.
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Tuesday, April 27, 2010 3:32 AM
Does anyone ever actually want to be a couch potato?
What is there to inspire or motivate us about a slovenly, overweight, crumb-covered, do-nothing, sitting around all day, stuffing all kinds of junk food, mindlessly flipping channels?
The food may be momentarily entertaining, but it serves only to slow him down, and there might occasionally be something worth watching on TV, but the constant channel surfing guarantees that she will never have a thought of her own.
There’s nothing in that picture that any of us would aspire to.
And yet, for many of us in America today, that is a precise description of what the younger generation sees of our spiritual lives. We should not be at all shocked that a large number of kids who grow up in the church are heading out the door the minute they are 18, never to be heard from again.
We are a bunch of spiritual couch potatoes. Sadly, too many of us are content to sit in our comfortable pews Sunday after Sunday, listening to music and rating it as if we were on “American Bandstand,” and flitting from congregation to congregation because “we’re just not getting fed.”
It’s no wonder that our young people want no part of that.
Paul himself shot down the idea that mature Christians are supposed to be “fed.” He pointed out that babies need to be fed, but adults are supposed to be out hunting and preparing their own meals…and providing for the babies. So, if we are regularly studying and applying truth we find in our Bibles to our own lives, what is it that we should be doing at church?
Like our couch potato who finally goes into the kitchen to prepare himself a nutritious meal, we may find, when we look into the New Testament, that we become energized to actually be the church in this world.
That would mean exercising our spiritual gifts and calling, by getting out of the pew and into our community—feeding the hungry, providing for widows and orphans, protecting the weak, giving to the poor, being friends to the friendless, visiting those who are sick or in prison, demonstrating to them that there is hope because Jesus loves them.
Today’s young adults, whether they are believers or not, have a deep concern about the needs they see in the world around them. Not content to just cluck their tongues and feel sorry, they want to take action. They live green, they volunteer, they raise funds for charities and disaster relief, they travel around the world at their own expense to dig wells and build schools.
They should see the church as a group of people more concerned with giving than getting, people who are responsibly training for spiritual fitness, people who are racing to meet the needs of the world around them with power and compassion, in the name of Jesus.
Let’s get off the spiritual couch, and invite the next generation to join us in running the race, intent on the prize of the high calling of life in Christ Jesus.
Nothing much was going on...
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:33 PM
Zacharias went to burn the incense, as he had for years as a priest, simply because it was his turn, and he did what he was supposed to do. It had been years since he and Elizabeth had put away their dream of having children, and just gone about the business of their days, faithfully living the best way they could.
Mary went about her daily chores, performing the lowly tasks women in her culture were assigned to do, not resenting, but working to be a girl who would please God. It really wasn’t a big deal.
Joseph worked in his shop, building carts and chairs and mending tables, day by day following the holy law to the best of his ability. Even as he absorbed the news that his fiancé was pregnant, knowing that he was not the father, he put aside his disappointment, and tried to figure out what would be the right thing to do.
The shepherds were sitting in a cold, dark field, huddled around a fire, making sure the sheep were not attacked by animals or stolen by thieves, the same as they did night after night, year after year. It was a job without much challenge, without much pay, with little or no respect from the community. But it was their job, and they were doing it.
Anna and Simeon were in the temple, each praying and hoping as they had every day for years…So long, in fact, that the first fire of inspiration that had motivated them long ago had dwindled to ashes, and each one’s attendance there had become habit motivated simply by the desire to faithfully do what they believed was right.
It had been over 2,000 years since God had spoken to His people through the prophets. Their land was occupied by a foreign power, and life was hard. God’s promises didn’t seem to have much to do with what their lives were like. But they were faithful, and spent their days doing the things they knew to be right.
And then!
God interrupted routines, beginning by sending Gabriel to give incredible news to Mary, to Elizabeth, to Zacharias, to Joseph, to the shepherds.
In one night, the world was turned upside down, and a Redeemer was born who would restore intimacy between God and man, and who Himself would be the answer to every longing of the hearts of men and women for all time.
There are believers this Christmas season who have been living in the place where nothing much seems to be happening. Like Mary and Joseph, like Zacharias and Elizabeth and the shepherds, we are going about our days, motivated by faith to do the right thing, though circumstances are not what we had dreamed of.
For us, this is a good time to remember that faith, faithfulness, is the substance of things hoped for! Whatever it is that we are longing for God to do, it is our faith, and our faithfulness in the place that He has us right now, that will allow Him to bring about His plans for us.
My prayer this Christmas season is that we all will find ourselves, like Simeon and Anna, faithfully in the place where He has called us to be, so that, like them, our eyes can behold His coming.
I pray that this year, the routine will be interrupted by the glorious. This year, may you suddenly find Christmas happening in your heart!
Emmanuel!
Martha
Happy Birthday, Josiah!
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:15 PM
Dear Josiah,
Happy first birthday to the best grandson in the whole world! That’s not just bragging. That’s a fact. I always knew being a grandpa would be great, but I never dreamed how amazing my grandson would be. Has there ever been another one-year-old who would crawl up in his grandpa’s lap just to watch a football game on television? It was just too good to be true that your first words were “hut-hut’. 
So, I’m pretty thrilled about how this first year has turned out, even though it started out filled with fear for your whole family. You looked so perfectly healthy when you came into this world, then the doctors said you were going to need serious surgery immediately. You were the trooper you always have been. They literally reached inside you and took everything out and laid it on a table to fix what was broken. For one whole month you had tubes all over you and were isolated from us in that intensive care room. But you were so tough. You made it through.
Then, they told us you had cystic fibrosis. I didn’t know exactly what that was, but it sounded scary. And, it was even scarier when I started reading about it. There is no cure for it and the prognosis is pretty discouraging. But, thank God for all the doctors and medications that have kept you very healthy and very happy during your first year.
One thing that I never expected when I became a grandpa, was how much you were going to teach me. But God has used you to teach this old dog plenty of new ways of looking at things. 
You’ve taught me, once again, how pure real love is. It’s something that we all need to be reminded of, and your crinkled-up face when you give me your biggest smile does that for me. Like your Uncle Matt said, we needed you to keep us all from becoming “bitter intellectuals”.
You’ve taught me what great people your Mommy and Daddy are. I thought I knew that already but I really didn’t. I knew that I loved them and that they were fun and smart, and that I was glad they were part of my family. But I had never seen the real beauty of the grace and peace that is within them. Day by day, they walk through the whole ordeal of your illness. They don’t complain about the hours and hours that breathing treatments and therapies and doctors appointments require of them. They don’t fret over the huge expenses of special medications and specialists’ fees. They work diligently to find the balance of keeping you healthy and yet, not overprotecting you. They’re joyful, knowing that difficult times might be ahead. All the while, they do above and beyond what’s expected of them as they reach out to teach and love teenagers in their work. You are blessed that you belong to them, and I’m blessed that they are my daughter and son-in-law.
Most importantly, Josiah, you’ve taught me how God wants me to live my life. I was so frightened when the doctor spoke those words, “cystic fibrosis”. Every negative thought immediately flooded my mind. But then God stepped in and spoke so calmly to me, “You’ll live through this day by day.” It’s true that we don’t have any promise that tomorrow you’ll be with us. But God reminded me that that’s not just true about you, but everyone. We’re all just day-to-day here on this earth, so we love God and each other as if this day is our last.
“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:33-34 The Message)
I live this day believing that God will bring healing to your life – praying for the doctors and scientists that are searching for a cure, and depending on the miraculous power of God to touch you. But I live it knowing that with you and with everyone else, every moment I must love wholeheartedly, without expectations or keeping score. I can’t allow worry or concern about what the future might hold to crowd out “right now”. 
So I love every single moment that I get to spend with you, Little Man. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am for you and how much I love you. So let’s celebrate this first year as big as we can – with football and loud music and funny faces and monkeys and Veggie Tales and everything else you love. Happy birthday to the greatest grandson that’s ever lived!
I love you so much!
G-Diddy
Hear Us On FamilyLife Today!
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Monday, November 16, 2009 2:43 PM
Here’s a save-the-date for you! We received a note from Family Life Today that our “Setting Up Stones” interview will be broadcast in two parts, Monday and Tuesday, December 7 and 8. FamilyLife Today is hosted by Dr. Dennis Rainey, President of FamilyLife and Bob Lepine. It airs on over 900 stations all over the world.
You may have seen Dr. Rainey on Fox News last week, talking about the ministry that FamilyLife has for military families. You can see that online at
http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.5601869/k.6089/Dennis_Rainey__Fox_News.htm?from=hpvideobox
To find out the time and station in your area for our interview, go to
http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.3469313/k.93D4/Find_a_station.htm
Please pray that our thoughts and words on the broadcasts will make an impact on families all over the world.
On Losing A Friend
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Monday, June 1, 2009 12:35 PM
I would have expected a phone call last evening. But, I knew it wouldn’t be coming, so I just shut my phone off so I could deal with the emotion the events of the day had brought my way.
I lost a good friend yesterday, very unexpectedly, and much too early. Bill passed away on the basketball court, doing something he loved to do, with the person he most enjoyed sharing it with – his son Zach. Bill and I shared the same passions, and that’s why it didn’t take too long for us to begin to connect after we first met. He loved God intensely, and extravagantly poured out the overflow of that love on his family. He loved to laugh, boisterously, with friends. And, he loved sports. What I enjoyed most about Bill was the way all those passions kind of sloshed together. There was a seamless flow in our conversations together that usually included bits and pieces of all those things. The extent of the family and marriage counsel he sought from me was how a dad could watch his kids compete and succeed in sports without becoming too proud or too pushy. He wondered what things I had done to make Martha more interested in sports so he could share them with Deborah, too.
Bill had a real gift. I suppose it was what made him so successful in sales. I’ve never been friends with anyone who asked so many questions about me, what my thoughts were, what made me tick. And, after he figured me out, he was diligent about sharing those passions with me. The first time we were really engaged in more than cursory conversation, he managed to find out that our son Matt was attending Baylor University, so, we were a family of Baylor sports fans. That’s all it took. He pledged to me that he was going to be a Bear Backer, too, except, of course, when they faced his beloved Texas Tech Red Raiders.
And that’s when the phone calls started. I could count on hearing from him every time Baylor was on TV, or when the paper ran a story about them. The sport didn’t make any difference – football, basketball, baseball, track, men’s teams or women’s teams. The phone would ring, and he wouldn’t have to identify himself, he just led off with, “What did you think of the game?” So, when Baylor bowed out of the NCAA baseball tournament yesterday, the phone should have rung, Bill should have been on the other end to console me, and he would have ended the conversation with, “Oh well, football season starts in another month, and I’m expecting Robert Griffin to make big noise for the Bears this year. Hey! We love you guys!” But the phone was quiet.
I always felt that Bill was thinking about me. He made me feel that he valued my opinion and appreciated my company. After all, that’s just exactly what real friends do. I saw him at church yesterday morning, the first time our paths had crossed in about a month. He threw his arms around me and said, loudly, of course, “Man, we’ve missed you guys! When can we get together?” Next time we get together Bill, time won’t constrain us and busyness won’t deter us. We’ll talk and laugh as long as we want to.
So, I’ve been reminded the past twenty-four hours how important it is to shake off the tyranny of the urgent, those things that cry out for attention and fill our time, but are of no eternal value. Those people God has placed in my life really mean something. Lord, help me to be aware of my time, cautious of my attention and lavish with my love.
On The Radio
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Tuesday, May 26, 2009 1:46 PM
WBCL Radio Network in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, interviewed us on Monday, May 18. It’s a six-station network that covers Indiana and parts of Ohio and Michigan. Lynne Ford is the host of the weekly morning program, “Author, Author” that features interviews with several authors each week. Here it is! Our interview begins about 20 minutes into the program.
Setting Up Stones on WBCL
Warts And All
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:55 AM
This past weekend, Martha drug out some of the old family photo albums, and coerced me to look through them with her. As we reminisced about some great times, I also happened to run across a few pictures that I would just as soon incinerate. They were scary, but I got up enough guts to post one of the least brutal ones here. No snickering allowed, because I’m sure you have some that would rival it.
Now, there’s a way, though, to embrace the embarrassment that families have for so long kept hidden. This morning, I found an “interesting” website, awkwardfamilyphotos.com. People post those strange photos right out of their family albums there for the whole world to see, and, surprisingly, don’t seem to be at all uncomfortable about doing it. Apparently, it’s the hottest new thing to arrive on the internet, according to ABC News and Fox News reports. In the last 30 days, the site has drawn over 20 million visitors. If you decide to visit it, just know it’s not completely family-friendly.
"It's tapping into something universal," said the site’s co-founder Mike Bender. "Everybody has experienced not only the awkwardness ... [but] I think there's something almost cathartic for people to share their awkwardness. That was always the hope." 
It just might be a movement whose time has come.
Trying to be perfect can get really tiresome. Somewhere, we got the idea that it was really important for our families to look good. But, in doing that, we’ve burdened the ones we love most with the millstone, “whatever you do, don’t embarrass us.” That means that many of the struggles that we go through have to be swept under the rug. Even within the walls of our own home, that atmosphere demands that we “put on a good face” and bury the difficulties we’re dealing with. Being real is rare, but it can be the most healthy thing that our families can embrace.
Fear blocks that free flow of authenticity. Almost everyone has a fear of vulnerability, that, somehow, if we show that we’re less-than-perfect, there will most assuredly be a disastrous outcome. What if I’m not accepted any longer? Will they think less of me? Will I relinquish some kind of control? As we grow in our honest communication within our family, those questions and fears begin to crumble.
Being genuine creates an atmosphere at home that cultivates many of the attitudes that a family should find very attractive. It breaks down walls that block communication. With the awareness that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, it encourages teamwork. And, it lays a foundation of honesty, that affects each family member's relationship with each other and with God.
Walking with God, knowing and loving and serving Him, is a process, not a formula. It’s exciting and fulfilling and messy and challenging. If we honestly allow our family to observe us as we participate, we will allow them to see the reality of the God we love and serve, and they will be drawn to Him.
Then, when others see our family, they're not impressed about how perfect we are. They see, instead, a picture of God's grace.
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Thursday, May 7, 2009 3:31 AM
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
This is not "our day" - a time to flaunt our identity, celebrate our significance, or chastise those who choose not to acknowledge it. This is our solemn call to humility and repentance, seeking God's mercy and grace.
Tech Check
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Tuesday, May 5, 2009 2:34 PM
I don’t claim to be a technology expert. In fact, education consultant Marc Prensky would label me a “digital immigrant.” That’s because I’m old enough to remember when computers were massive monoliths that we never dreamed would someday be such an important part of our lives. I do know enough about technology, though, to know when I see something that provides some good answers to some of the cyberspace problems that we all hear about. I’m especially interested when parents are given a technological tool that allows them to keep their kids safe while encouraging them to experience the enrichment that the internet has to offer. So, I was particularly eager share some things that I recently discovered. Now there’s a chance that this stuff might be old news to some of you, and, if it is, simply file it away as a doddering digital immigrant’s discovery of the world around him. But, if you’ve never seen this before, and it ends up working for you, your undying gratitude is sufficient!
KIDO’Z v 1.0
www.kidoz.net
KIDO’Z v 1.0 is a safe internet browser for kids ages 3-11. It was developed by a small Israeli company, and gives kids a great introduction to the internet in a protected environment. Here’s how they describe their product:
“The KIDO'Z Kid's Web Environment is the safe, easy and fun way for young kids to surf their favorite sites, watch videos and play games. Each kid is unique, with different likes, dislikes, and different cultural and language backgrounds. And so, we created KIDO'Z with that in mind. Tons of top kids' content is loaded into KIDO'Z by the KIDO'Z team. But what makes KIDO'Z special is the content added by you, the parents. You can personalize KIDO'Z for your kids by uploading new content, selecting user interface and content languages, enhancing security settings, allowing/blocking any content...and more!”
YourSphere
www.yoursphere.com
Online social networking is huge among preteens and teens, but, they can not only be a distraction, they can be dangerous, too. A California mom of five kids developed YourSphere as an alternative for MySpace, Facebook, and other sites like them. YourSphere claims to be a completely safe online environment, but there are some reviewers that suggest that might be impossible. Certainly, though, the measures taken to keep the site free of harmful activity is far beyond most others of the networking genre. YourSphere also offers some interesting perks like social hubs that link your kids with others that have similar interests, and a rewards program where members can earn prizes. There is also a network strictly for the members’ parents, and a parents’ blog led by Mary Kay Hoal, the site’s founder.
Check out KIDO’Z and YourSphere and see if they might be a technology solution at your house. I’d like to hear your opinion about these sites, and your reviews if you choose to use them.
It's Worth Celebrating!
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Friday, April 24, 2009 6:22 AM
San Antonio knows how to celebrate. Fiesta is happening right now - twelve days of parades, music, fun and food at events all over town, all day and all night long. I’ve lived here my whole life, and it still amazes me how the entire city is always looking for a reason to party. During the Rodeo in February, everyone digs out their boots and hats and becomes cowboys and cowgirls for a couple of weeks. During Christmas, lights fill all the trees along the Riverwalk, and thousands of worshippers, singing Christmas carols, travel through downtown with La Posada, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search through Bethlehem for a place for Jesus to be born. We host the nation’s largest Martin Luther King Day festivities, and you can’t begin to imagine the spontaneous revelry when our San Antonio Spurs win an NBA championship.
After being enslaved for centuries, Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea on dry ground, and the Egyptians were swallowed up when God caused the sea to close in on them. That was a reason for a real celebration. They were free! Exuberant singing and dancing filled the Hebrews’ camp. And God enjoyed every minute of it. 
The scriptures are filled with scenes of unbridled joy. Some of it was just spontaneous response to God’s goodness and faithfulness, like when David danced before the Lord. But much of the celebration was planned and intentional. Throughout the Old Testament God’s people were called to celebrate.
And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.
Nehemiah 8:11-12 (NLT)
All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated the Passover for seven days, celebrated exuberantly. The Levites and priests praised God day after day, filling the air with praise sounds of percussion and brass. Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of God. When the feast and festival—that glorious seven days of worship, the making of offerings, and the praising of God, the God of their ancestors—were over, the tables cleared and the floors swept, they all decided to keep going for another seven days! So they just kept on celebrating, and as joyfully as they began.
II Chronicles 30:21-23 (The Message)
Good people, cheer God! Right-living people sound best when praising. Use guitars to reinforce your Hallelujahs! Play his praise on a grand piano! Invent your own new song to him; give him a trumpet fanfare.
Psalm 33:1-3 (The Message)
It all sounds pretty lively doesn’t it?
In the New Testament, Jesus told about the celebrations of the “good and faithful servant” and the father after the prodigal son came home. In Thessalonians 5:16, Paul put it pretty simply – “rejoice evermore.”
I particularly enjoy the image in Zephaniah, when God actually joins in the celebration with His people.
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be,
“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!
For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Zephaniah 3:16-17 (NLT)
Maybe we just don’t celebrate enough. Or maybe we just need to refocus our rejoicing. God knows that celebrations are important when they’re directed to Him. He knows that our family’s faith is enriched when our homes are filled with praise. Kids don’t forget special times, fun and exciting times that are focused on the goodness of God. And, for that matter, adults don’t either. 
I’ve realized how important it is to set aside specific moments to engage my family and friends in celebrating who God is. I want to acknowledge God’s working in our lives through even the little things. I want to make the seemingly insignificant things God does really significant. I think I’m going to throw more parties.
Creativity Ain't For Cowards
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Friday, April 17, 2009 9:03 AM
This is a great time of the year to be a man. It's one of those special times when sports converge and testosterone reigns. The NBA playoffs are underway, baseball season has begun, and the NFL will have its annual draft of college players next Saturday.
It's one time of the year when I really feel comfortable, because I can discuss any of these topics intelligently and incessantly. I'm in my zone, like Michael Jordan used to be when the Bulls were trailing in Game 7, or when John Elway was quarterbacking the Broncos with two minutes left and 80 yards for a win. Just give me half a chance and you're certain to be mesmerized.
I'm just like most men. When I'm operating in my arena I have all the confidence in the world. But, please don't put me in a place that I'm not very sure of myself. Don't insist that I navigate treacherous waters where I might go under. Don't set me up to fail, and above all, don't make me look bad. That's when I just might crawl back into my shell and whimper a little bit. Believe me, a whining man is not a pretty sight.
If I may, let me offer some wisdom to all the wives out there. Your husband doesn't particularly like to be called “artistic” or “creative.” There's something just a little dainty about those words. They conjure up images that are way too colorful, that smell too sweet, and that inevitably include lace and flowers. It reminds me of a time when Matt, our son, was about 10 years old, and somehow, he and I got duped into accompanying Martha into the craft store. About 15 minutes into the journey, he looked at me and said, “Dad, if hell is anything like this place, I really don't want to go there.” I understood completely.
The unfamiliar is not an easy place to be. The time comes, though, when the comfortable ways just don't work any more. I remember realizing that communicating God's truth to my kids was going to require more than sitting them down in front of me and reading a devotional book to them. If I wanted them to know a God who is alive and involved, I was going to have to portray Him to them in that way. I needed to be creative in order to demonstrate the Creator. And, that, sounded very scary to me.
McNair Wilson, was, at one time, Senior Imagineer for the Walt Disney Corporation. He was the guy who came up with ideas for all the rides and attractions at the theme parks and made them come to life. He created all the Disney things that not only captured kids' attention, but adults', as well. McNair now teaches companies and organizations not to be afraid of that word “creativity,” but, instead, use it to effectively communicate their message.
That starts with redefining it. McNair admits that the mystique of the word scares many people away. “I can talk about creativity for hours and never mention art supplies,” he said. Instead, he explains it as “rearranging the old to appear new.” That sounds much more within my element.
McNair talks about being creative in terms of “challenging assumptions” and “taking risks.” That's certainly something that guys can identify with. It makes you want to strap on the pads and get out on the field.
So, it requires courage to challenge those assumptions. We have to be bold about it, and keep taking risks even when we fail miserably. Creativity is a very manly thing.
It's Friday...But Sunday's Coming!
Posted by Martha & Greg Singleton , Friday, April 10, 2009 8:21 AM
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”
Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)
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