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Excerpts from “The Right Fight: How to Live a Loving Life” by John Kennedy VaughanUn-Forgiveness Stops Our Lives On A Dime“Because time keeps moving forward, un-forgiveness leads to us living our lives walking backward as we keep staring at what’s happened. It prevents us from focusing on what is happening in our lives.“Forgiving ourselves or others is not about pretending our action or another’s action is OK or no longer regrettable. There are things I did thirty years ago that I despise more …

Point 27 Honors Police, Families of Fallen Officers with Bible Verse Dog Tags  By Caleb Parke A faith-based organization that honors fallen heroes is pushing back against the anti-police "false narrative" following George Floyd's death and the recent calls to "defund the police."Point 27, teaming up with Shields of Strength, has coordinated with 105 police departments that have experienced a line of duty death since the beginning of the year. Point 27's national outreach coor …

In these chaotic times, it is critical to remember that love is not rude or angry, but fear is; and seeking truth must always supersede our actions.“Anger is something we all feel, and those angry feelings are often beyond our control. I have never figured out how to stop feeling anger. Acting on our angry feelings, though, is something we often can control.“We can feel anger but still choose to be kind. Fear acts on the anger that it feels. Anger does not rule our lives when we feel it. Anger o …

When I became a father, one of the first boundaries I drew was to demand that my children respect me. I had two goals: one, to be respected as a father by my children, and two, for my children to live a respectful life. However, the boundaries I drew, communicated to my daughter that she had to respect me or she would be punished. She learned her father would not tolerate disrespect—and, by example, to fear and guard against others disrespec …

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:13On Memorial Day, we honor those who demonstrated the greatest love, "...to lay down one’s life for one’s friend." We honor those who’s time on earth was cut short, who missed many of life’s joys, who never married, who did not grow old with their soulmate, who did not see their children grow, who did not enjoy retirement. We honor widows who lost the love of their life, children who lost a father or mothe …

Strong Fathers Show Soft Hearts“‘No more ice-cream runs,’ I said to the kids. I was not trying to be mean, but it was really the only responsible thing to do.“My three kids—Faith, Grace, and Kennedy—were nine, six, and two at the time. My wife, Tammie, and I have always liked to do little things with them now and then that are simple but fun and kind of spontaneous. As a result, you never know when a do-nothing evening might turn into a 9 p.m. ice-cream, taco, or french-fry run. My mom used to m …

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Every year, between Memorial Day, when we honor fallen soldiers, and July Fourth, when we celebrate our freedom--tens of thousands of fatherless children of fallen soldiers, mark Father’s Day without an …

Excerpts from “The Right Fight: How to Live a Loving Life” by John Kennedy Vaughan“I think it is vital that we all understand love and live it, because the opposite of love is fear, which leads to selfishness, and the last thing any of us really wants is for fear to rule our lives.“Love doesn’t just respond to what people do. Love seeks to understand the thought behind the action. That is where the truth is hidden. We must ask ourselves why people do what they do before we respond. It’s not wha …

Excerpts from “The Right Fight: How to Live a Loving Life” by John Kennedy VaughanMy Father Taught Me: Respect the Threat; But Do Not Fear -- so I am passing this on from him to me, to my children; to you and to your children…“I don’t know much about medicine or viruses, but I do know about fear. I spent more than 15 years battling fear, and seven years writing a book about love and fear, ‘The Right Fight: How To Live A Loving Life.’“Throughout the years, I’ve learned a lot about faith, and t …

"As Iron Sharpens Iron, So One Man Sharpens Another." This verse was written at a time when men converted farm tools into weapons for battle. They rubbed these iron tools together to form sharp blades and points for swords and spears to become effective weapons for combat. Similarly, when men train, encourage, admonish, teach, coach, support, critique, confront, and develop each other, they become effective weapons for spiritual battle and to be loving husbands and fathers.An analogy I find usef …