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		<copyright>Copyright 2012 Focus Press, All rights reserved.</copyright>
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		<title><![CDATA[ What Am I Doing Here? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/39824</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ What am I doing here?

Oh, I don&amp;rsquo;t mean that question in the great, abstract, metaphysical sense that philosophers have wrestled with for centuries.

I mean it in the here and now, in the very practical sense.

What are my name, my thoughts, my words doing here in the pages of this publication; sandwiched between the articles of great scholars, journalists, highly educated people who have studied and trained to articulate deep and profound subject matter? I&amp;rsquo;m just a part-time physical therapist and mother to two energetic pre-schoolers. I&amp;rsquo;m a shy introvert who loves to be alone with a book. I&amp;rsquo;m no scholar; I did not seek out this writing assignment.

The answer? It is God. Pure and simple.

You see, God is writing a story in my life that is beyond anything I ever imagined possible. And I believe He&amp;rsquo;s only just begun.

&amp;ldquo;What am I doing here?&amp;rdquo; I remember thinking those words to myself as my husband and I sat in total shock, having jus... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ inspirational ]]></category>
		<author>mail@focuspress.org (Sara Walker)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:15:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/39824</guid>
		<comments>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/39824</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ God Is... ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37906</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ &amp;nbsp;

	A teenager walks home from school wearing a t-shirt that features the sentiment: &amp;ldquo;It&amp;rsquo;s all about me.&amp;rdquo; Born years after Kennedy administration, this young girl is not interested in what she can do for her country, but rather, she is solely interested in what others will do for her. During her lifetime abortion and gambling remain legalized, and same-sex marriage has become an accepted (and even legal) &amp;ldquo;norm.&amp;rdquo; She has been indoctrinated through years of public education that the only real &amp;ldquo;sin&amp;rdquo; is the sin of intolerance, and thus, she should be accepting of everything that comes her way.

	She walks into her parents&amp;rsquo; six bedroom, four-car garage home&amp;mdash;a home that exudes wealth and materialism. As she enters the family room she decides to spend a few minutes finishing up her science project. This year&amp;rsquo;s topic is &amp;ldquo;The Evolution of Man,&amp;rdquo; and she has collected dozens of pictures of alleged missing links. She ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Doctrine ]]></category>
		<author>mail@focuspress.org (Brad Harrub, Ph.D.)</author>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37906</guid>
		<comments>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/37906</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Nature, and Teens, Don't Like Vacuums ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37862</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ &amp;nbsp;

	&amp;ldquo;Nature abhors a vacuum.&amp;rdquo; This phrase expresses the idea that empty spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of physics. If there is a vacuum, nature will fill it with something very quickly. This rule can be applied to children and teens in respect to the choices they make regarding right and wrong.

	&amp;nbsp;

	Without a moral compass by which to guide their lives, teenagers will fill their concepts of honesty, dignity, and sobriety with just about anything thereby leading them in tumultuous directions.

	&amp;nbsp;

	I&amp;rsquo;m reminded of the movie &amp;ldquo;Big Daddy&amp;rdquo; starring Adam Sandler&amp;mdash;a movie that one would not recommend for Christians. Sandler&amp;rsquo;s character decides to raise his adopted child differently than he was raised. The boy is encouraged to do what he wants and hilarity ensues as he wears a colander on his head to school and changes his name to Frankenstein. Sandler&amp;rsquo;s character believed that he was encouraging a good ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ children ]]></category>
		<author>mail@focuspress.org (Dale Sadler)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:51:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37862</guid>
		<comments>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/37862</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Faith & Finance: Check the Heart Monitor ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37863</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ &amp;nbsp;

	&amp;nbsp;

	
		Have you heard the one about the supposedly true story of a letter written to the Internal Revenue Service?
	
		&amp;nbsp;
	
		Dear Sirs, 
	
		I haven&amp;rsquo;t been able to sleep because last year when I filled out my income tax report I deliberately misrepresented my income. I am enclosing a check for $1500&amp;hellip;
	
		Then, the closing line&amp;hellip;
	
		If I still can&amp;rsquo;t sleep, I&amp;rsquo;ll write a check for the rest.
	
		&amp;nbsp;
	
		Christian stewardship is about so much more than just contributing a portion of our incomes to fund the works of the Church. Giving is most definitely a part of Christian stewardship, but there&amp;rsquo;s much more to it. In fact, in order to properly fulfill God&amp;rsquo;s commands to give as we should, we must also get some other pieces of our financial puzzle in place.
	
		&amp;nbsp;
	
		Thomas Jefferson once said, &amp;ldquo;When the heart is right, the feet are swift.&amp;rdquo; Someone else, building on Jefferson&amp;rsquo;s comme... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ money, personal finance ]]></category>
		<author>mail@focuspress.org (Jim Palmer)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:55:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37863</guid>
		<comments>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/37863</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ The Conviction Crisis ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37864</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ &amp;nbsp;

	And he withdrew from them about a stone&amp;rsquo;s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying,&amp;nbsp;&amp;ldquo;Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.&amp;rdquo; (Luke 22:41-42)

	&amp;nbsp;

	Then Paul answered, &amp;ldquo;What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.&amp;rdquo; And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, &amp;ldquo;Let the will of the Lord be done.&amp;rdquo;

	(Acts 21:13-14)

	&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Jesus and Paul demonstrated their deep conviction and devotion to God by their willingness to suffer and die to do the will of God.&amp;nbsp; Many early Christians like Stephen and James gave their lives for the cause of Christ.

	&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; When Dr. David Livingstone was working in Africa, a group of friends w... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ moral relativism ]]></category>
		<author>mail@focuspress.org (Phil Sanders, Ph.D.)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:59:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.focuspress.org/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/37864</guid>
		<comments>http://www.focuspress.org/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/37864</comments>
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