Open Heavens Daily Guide

4 Things Parents Should Know about Frozen 2

Elsa is a courageous and compassion queen who always has been a little different. 

As a child, she could create snow and ice with a flick of the wrist. Her powers led to a few accidents along the way, but eventually, she learned to control her magical abilities, and especially after she was coronated as the queen of Arendelle. Love – she learned – is the secret to keeping her powers in check. 

St…

5 Quandaries of Leading Creative People

I love having creative people on teams I lead, but, honestly, they can make leading much messier. Leading creatives can be difficult.

In case you’re wondering, here’s the top Google definition of a creative: relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

Creative minds are always wandering. They get bored easily. They are never…

6 Signs You’re Worshipping Celebrities as False Idols

It’s easy for us to get caught up and misplace our worship in false idols—instead of our Lord and Savior. When we think of false idols, we may think of objects like the tiki doll on The Brady Bunch show when the family went on vacation to Hawaii.

But John Calvin most adequately defined “idolatry” as a worshipping of the gifts in place of the Giver himself. Thus, a false idol is not just an…

5 Things You Should Know about “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

Lloyd Vogel a is hard-nosed magazine reporter who makes the movers and shakers of the world flee.

He asks the tough questions that undercover corruption. He finds out what the politicians and the businessmen are reallydoing behind closed doors. In other words, he’s the type of journalist no one wants to talk to.

But then Vogel is given a nightmare assignment – interviewing Fred Rogers of Mister…

9 Scripture Verses for Hard Times

We don’t have to wonder if we will have trials; we’re told to expect them. But the good news is we don’t have to face those trials alone. The God of the universe is watching out for us.

When my sister went missing in 1982, I was able to call on God and he encouraged me through his Word. May these verses do the same for you, no matter what trials you face.

A Prayer for Hard Times: Lord, help us…

5 Reasons a Pastor May Not Be Leading Well

I remember talking with a concerned man about his church. He was concerned the church was wasting a lot of resources and accomplishing little towards its vision to make disciples. They have a large building and staff. There is a rich history of Kingdom-building, but the building sits empty most days of the week. There is a steady decline in baptisms and Sunday attendance. The church lacks…

How to Stay in Love in Your Marriage for a Lifetime

I have two sets of parents. Both couples were wed during the Jurassic period (not really). Both were married almost 60 years. I watched each twosome grow old together.

One pair barely tolerated each other at the bitter end. My folks were sweethearts until death parted them. Mom and Dad had a caregiver in their final years, and they confided that they wanted her to arrive later in the morning so…

7 Words That Protect Our Marriage

Cheryl and I are in a good season of life and marriage. In many ways it is a stressful season with work, family demands, and transition, but it is a good season in so many other ways. We’ve been empty-nesters for a number of years now and we’ve adjusted to it well. It was hard missing our boys at first, but we enjoy our time together. These are some of the best years of our marriage.

The…

Should You Force Your Kids to Go to Church?

Force is such a strong word, isn’t it? When I think of force, in the Biblical sense, I automatically think of Samson, who stood between two pillars and pushed an entire building down!

In the parenting sense, of course, we’d much rather build our kids up than tear them down. That’s why I’d rather refer to forcing our kids to do something, as lovingly requiringthem to do things that are best…

2 Life-Changing Prayers from “It’s a Wonderful Life”

The movie classic It’s a Wonderful Life has been a meaningful part of the American Christmas tradition for decades. Aired on primetime television at Christmas time, the movie is a vivid reminder that life is comprised of joys and heartaches. It lives on as one of the most inspirational films of all time.

Directed and produced by Frank Capra, the movie was released by R-K-O Pictures in December…

7 Things I’d Say to Parents of Married Adult Children

In helping marriages, I often try to share some of the barriers that I have seen to having a good marriage. My theory is that if couples are aware of the barriers before they become an issue it’s much easier to deal with them when they arise.

One of the consistent barriers I have seen in having a strong marriage is the way the couple deals with outside influences.It could be friends, family,…

5 Things That Will Make Your Thanksgiving Better Than Ever

We’ve all been there before and know it’s coming each Thanksgiving: the excitement to see loved ones mixed with knowing that Thanksgiving Day is also filled with other emotions, such as anxiety, frustration, and disappointment. We think it’s just us because all we see on social media is happy, smiling families in perfectly coordinating outfits with Pinterest-worthy menus, table settings, and…

7 Things Parents Should Know about Disney Plus

When Disney Plus announced that 10 million subscribers had signed up for its streaming service by opening day, people noticed. 

To put that in perspective, Hulu – which is 12 years old – has 28.5 million subscribers. CBS All Access and HBO Now each have 8 million subscribers, and ESPN+ 3.5 million.

Yes, Netflix is still the leader with 158 million subscribers worldwide, but Disney Plus is…

What’s on Your Christian Bucket List?

This has become a popular parlor game and a best-selling theme for all kinds of books — places to go, things to do, foods to eat, scenes to see, before you leave this world, or “kick the bucket.” That’s what gave it the name “bucket list.” Hollywood made a movie about this a few years ago.

Today was evidently a morning of slow news because one of the television shows ran a feature on beer, “50…

When I Think I Have a Great Idea – I Do This Every Time

When I think I have a great idea I do the same thing every time – I sleep on it!

If you read this blog regularly, surely you have learned that I’m a risk-taker by nature. I love to encourage big dreams and I want to be a catalyst for idea generation and innovative thought. I’ve been a church planter and a church revitalizer. Talk about risk.

In spite of that tendency in me to act quickly, I…

What Is the Shroud of Turin? Facts & History Everyone Should Know

Above Photo: The face of the Shroud man as it appears to the naked eye and as a photographic negative ( positive.) Shroud Photographs ©1978 Barrie M. Schwortz Collection, STERA, Inc

The Shroud of Turin is a rectangular linen cloth comprised of flax measuring 14.6 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. It bears a faint yellowed image of a bearded, crucified man with bloodstains that match the wounds…