Barry's Blog 

With Christmas now officially "behind" us, we prepare for New Year's celebrations, contemplating, some of us, resolutions for the coming year. And with spring time, with longer days, coming shortly, the thought of Easter seems so far away. But they are so different, aren't they? Christmas is typically a time of joy, feasting, merrymaking, and gift-giving. But with Easter, we generally think of  Lent, the passion of Christ, giving up, abstinence, etc. You get the picture.

And yet, the two events are separated historically by some thirty-three years. In human time, not God's time. First the birth of Jesus, the Incarnation, the "God becoming man." And then His crucifixion, His death for the sins of the world, the Easter event. But in Reality, they mirror one another, don't they?

As we prepare to usher in the new year, and soon turn our eyes on Easter, replete with daffodils and easter eggs, be mindful that in God's perspective, they both tell of the same great love that He has for the world. More particularly, for you and me. This poem by Steve Turner, an English biographer and poet, captures the idea well. I'd love to hear your…

I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to focus on the true meaning of Christmas in our crazy, commercialized, fast-paced world, where Xmas has largely replaced Christmas. And yet, it is a distinctly "Christian" celebration, that can only be fathomable by those who have the knowledge and mind of Christ. My daughter recently showed me a remarkable reading from a collection of sermons and essays of C. S. Lewis, from his work, God in the Dock, and particularly from his essay, "The Grand Miracle." This chapter is also found in his apologetic work, Miracles. The following excerpt from that chapter wonderfully captures the spirit of Christmas, and in particular, the Incarnation. Lewis likens Christ to a pearl-diver, in a passage so powerful it borders on allegory. As Lewis would say elsewhere about Christmas, "The Son of God became a man, to enable men to become sons of God."

As we come to the end of 2011, I would like to take the opportunity to mention that FinishingWell serves under the auspices of Reflections Ministries, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Myself and other staff members are solely…

C.S. Lewis was born 112 years ago today in Belfast, North Ireland (November 29, 1898). Here is a brief biographical profile of Lewis provided by the C. S. Lewis Foundation, which can be found at their website, cslewis.org:

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was a brilliant scholar, acclaimed writer, literary critic, and Christian apologist. He is particularly honored for his contributions in literary criticism, apologetics, and children's and fantasy literature. Of his over thirty books and numerous essays (the majority of which have remained in print since his death), the most well-known are The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters. The Chronicles of Narnia series is especially popular and has been adapted into several plays, radio productions, and feature films. Most recently Time magazine listed the first book in that series, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, as one of the top 100 English language novels written between 1923 and 2005. Lewis's works have been translated into over thirty languages and millions of copies have been sold worldwide.  His worldwide impact on the lives and faith of Christians and…