Sexual abuse is one of the leading causes of crime in the United States. Second only to a lack of true fatherhood, the problem of sexual abuse is more than nationwide- it’s universal.
Lecrae is just one voice in a sea of many, yet his testimony rings true with many of us. Now a famous Christian rapper, singer, author, and speaker, Lecrae wrote on the subject of sexual abuse on multiple occasions.
Continue reading “Throwback: Lecrae and Sexual Abuse”
I spend around three hours a week on YouTube. While not even close to the amount of time others may spend on the mega site, three hours is still a lot. In fact, three hours is enough to do a very long, very nice blog post or advertise this blog. These are three hours that are almost entirely pointless, so why do I waste my time there?
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: The Politics of YouTube”
Uganda is home to thousands of witch-doctors. In fact, one of these used to live across the road from my ministry. Although long gone, his memory presents an important reality- witchcraft is alive and well in Uganda.
When New Hope first started, a local witchdoctor approached the leaders and claimed that the Ministry wouldn’t last long. Basically, he gave the Ugandan equivalent of “This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.”
Now, in the present-day, I live five minutes from a small town named Kiwoko. Kiwoko, according to some, is the “witchcraft center” for the entire district. This makes it a hub for witchdoctors and their patients. The hospital, Kiwoko Hospital, treats thousands of patients a week. Because of this influx of sick and needy people, witchdoctors often attempt to lure people away from the hospital and into their homes, where they can offer darker practices for a cheaper price.
Because of witchcraft’s deep hold in Uganda, we even see examples of it here, in New Hope. The first time that I, in recent memory, can remember being exposed to works of witchcraft was when I was about seven years old. It was a Friday night and, as per our tradition, my family was eating pizza and watching a movie. Coincidentally, the movie we watched was Bednobs and Broomsticks, a 1971 Fantasy/Comedy about witchcraft.
The movie, starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson, was filmed by the creators of Mary Poppins and actually resembled its sister movie in many ways. However, one piece of the movie remains apart from this comparison- witchcraft. The entire plotline revolves around three children that, during the London Blitz, go to live with a witch. She is a member of a witchcraft correspondence school, capable of flying on brooms and casting spells. The movie would basically state that witchcraft was not only normal, but it was also good.
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: Spirituality In Hollywood”
With the abortion movement as large as it is, some may think this post to be unnecessary. After all, over 30 million abortions have been performed this year alone. Despite this mass murder of babies, hundreds of millions of babies are born each year, creating a large number of parents.
As Christians, the response to parenting varies. I, personally, am not a parent (although, with my five siblings, I might as well be), but I have seen many different responses to the option of childbearing.
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Content. Isn’t that a word that we hear so often? In a world of decreasing creativity, content is king. The best bloggers find ways to constantly create new content, publishing dozens of unique posts a year. In fact, the #1 defining feature between low-level bloggers and high-level bloggers is content.
The most common blog-related questions I receive have to do with content. After all, it’s hard to consistently come up with content, isn’t it? Well, here are three ways you can easily come up with new content prior to writing your post.
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: WordPress Content”
Honestly, one of the most common questions Africa Boy gets is this: “What are some of the funniest things you’ve seen in Uganda?” Well, after living here for 15.5 years, I have a few that are almost sure to make you laugh.
Continue reading “Throwback: The Quirks of Africa”
Yep, you knew it was coming. Coffee is, after all, one of the Africa Boy pillars. It’s what keeps me (and probably you) sane. So, if you aren’t a coffee fan, dry your eyes and click that back button, because this post isn’t for you.
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: Christ’s Coffee”
One day, about a year ago, I found myself hungry with no snacks to eat. So, being a classic Missionary Kid, I went in search of food. But, to my dismay, the mango and banana trees were devoid of any fruit. So, hoping to find something worth eating, I went and found my friend, Mugabe Robert. He knew a lot of the trees in the area, so I asked him if there was any ripe fruit nearby. He took me to a local jackfruit tree (see the above picture) and told me there was a ripe one at the top. But, there was a catch. He said that he was afraid of the wasps in the tree and refused to climb until they were removed. I, thinking I was fearless, volunteered to go and pick the fruit.
Now, as you’ve seen in the picture above, jackfruits are giant fruits that can withstand a twenty-foot fall. The only way to pick them is to saw off their stem and let them drop to the ground. So, armed with a machete, I climbed the tree. Then, seeing the wasp nest, I faltered.
The nest was HUGE. Easily larger than my closed fist, it teamed with wasps.
“Ah, Mugabe?” I shouted down. “If I suddenly jump down, prepare to run.”
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: The Consequences of Hunger”
Originally published on August 26th, 2019.
In today’s world, coveting isn’t given a second thought. We often covet without remorse, perhaps without even conscious thought. After all, coveting usually isn’t thought about. It has become such a common part of our daily lives that we don’t even notice it. We buy our cars and eat our expensive dinners, but we rarely stop long enough to think of what the Bible says about coveting. To many, coveting is like the disaster victims on the news: real, but distant. Oh, it exists, but nobody gives it a second thought. Coveting seems like the boring uncle found in every family. You know, the one that sleeps on the couch through thanksgiving and only wakes up for dinner. He’s there, but nobody really notices him.
So, what is coveting? We all know the classic “Thou shalt not covet” that we were taught in Sunday School, but do we really know what it means to covet? Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbors.”1 Simply put, coveting is the sinful desire of something that is not ours. Regardless of whether or not we act on our selfish desire, covetousness is the wicked craving for something we do not own. The wickedness in coveting is what makes it a sin. A man can walk into Target and look over some clothes, but if he does not sin in his shopping, he does not covet. However, if that man desires the pornographic magazine on Aisle 8, he covets and sins against His Lord.
Continue reading “Throwback Saturday: Coveting God”
Elisha McFarland 