Dramatic Apology

The difference between holiness and perfection is often blurred in modern theology, yet both Scripture and classical philosophy treat them as distinct concepts that answer fundamentally different questions. At its core, perfection concerns completeness or fulfillment. In the classical tradition associated with Aristotle and later Aquinas, perfection is teleological, meaning it is end-directed. A thing is perfect when it fully actualizes what it is meant to be. Perfection is therefore comparative and measurable relative to a standard, and it answers a specific question. Is anything missing? A perfect circle lacks none of the properties required to be a circle. A perfect knife fulfills its cutting purpose without deficiency. This understanding aligns closely with the New Testament’s use of the Greek word teleios (τέλειος), which means complete, mature, or brought to its intended end. Jesus uses this term in Matthew 5:48 (NIV), which says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father...

Psalm 51 stands as one of the most penetrating reflections on sin, repentance, mercy, and consequence in all of Scripture. It arises directly from one of the darkest episodes in Israel’s history, the sin of King David with Bathsheba, as recorded in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12. Together, the narrative and the psalm reveal a God who forgives fully yet allows consequences to unfold, and a king who is restored relationally while still bearing the earthly cost of his actions. While David’s army was away at war, he remained in Jerusalem. From the roof of his palace, he saw Bathsheba bathing. Despite knowing that she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of his elite soldiers, David summoned her and slept with her. When Bathsheba became pregnant, David attempted to conceal his sin by recalling Uriah from the battlefield, hoping he would sleep with his wife and assume the child was his own. Uriah refused, demonstrating integrity and solidarity with his fellow soldiers. In desperation, David...

 "Who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind;" Psalms 15:4b In Psalms 15, David essentially asks, "who can dwell with God?" and describes the character of a righteous man. The righteous list is overwhelming. I have fallen short on every point. I could never meet the criteria. Without the blood of Jesus Christ washing away the sin, I could never occupy a space in His presence. Under His mercy, I strive to understand and take action to become a servant who is a little more worthy today than yesterday. I dwell on the implications of David's words and apply my flawed understanding, praying for the grace to cover my ignorance and character in progress. The second part of the 4th verse is especially salient. The statement does not violate Leviticus 5:4, which condemns thoughtless oaths, but considers the complete description of righteousness which compounds blamelessness, truthfulness, honesty, humbleness, generosity, and carefully considered...

The Bible offers nuanced guidance regarding trust in people, balancing the wisdom of cautious discernment with the commandment to love and serve others. Wisdom and Discernment: The Bible advises using wisdom and discernment in whom we trust. Proverbs 14:15 says, "The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps." This suggests that while it's not wrong to trust, one should be thoughtful and discerning about it. The use of the word steps implies an observational component to trust. We should walk but pay attention to the outcomes of our actions and their impact on others. Trust in God Above All: The Bible strongly emphasizes trusting God above humans. Psalm 118:8-9 states, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." This highlights the idea that ultimate trust should be placed in God, not in fallible people. The misunderstanding here is not that we shou...

As I taught my daughter to read, I noticed something that surprised me. The shorter the word, the more likely it was to break the phonics rules I was trying to teach. It quickly became obvious that learning to read isn't just about sounding words out. Many of the most common words in English have to be recognized by sight, which eventually led me to the Dolch Sight Word lists. Along the way, I also became a big believer in using sign language as a teaching tool. While practicing Dolch words with flashcards, I discovered that adding a sign helped my daughter remember each word much more easily. Sometimes she'd remember the English word first. Other times she'd remember the sign and the spoken word would follow. Either way, learning became easier and much more enjoyable. Looking back, I think adding sign language gave her another meaningful way to connect with each word instead of simply memorizing letters. By four and a half years old, she had learned all 220 Dolch Sight Wor...

When my daughter was learning to read, one of our goals was mastering the Dolch sight words. As she approached her fifth birthday in July 2012, she had almost finished all 220 Dolch words. Partway through the process, I noticed something interesting. Whenever I paired a word with its sign in American Sign Language (ASL), she remembered it much more easily. Learning both the spoken word and the sign made practicing flashcards more engaging and seemed to improve her retention. Along with practicing sight words, we read two or three books together every day and spent time working on spelling. At her age, spelling also seemed to be one of the best ways to introduce basic phonics and letter patterns. To help with the next stage, I've put together the complete list of Dolch nouns with links to the corresponding signs on Signing Savvy. Our plan is to keep practicing the original 220 words for speed and pronunciation through the end of the year, then begin learning the 90 Dolch nouns in Ja...

Editor's Note (2026): This article has been updated where medical or scientific recommendations have changed since it was originally published. Updated information is marked with an asterisk (*) and explained in the Update Notes at the end of the article. I have searched for food allergy information through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and many other sources. Honestly, of all the research I have done, this topic seems to have the most variance. Even today, food allergy research continues to evolve, and medical recommendations have changed significantly since I originally wrote this article. Rather than pretending the science has always been settled, I've updated the recommendations where necessary and documented those changes in the Update Notes at the end of the article. In ...