Raynee had not spoken to her parents in five years. After a terrible fight, anger fueled their long separation. But when both parents became terminally ill, with no one to care for them, Raynee was forced to tend to their physical needs. Together with Christ, forgiveness and love, something Raynee calls "the unbeatable trio," God performed an amazing work—a complete reconciliation in each of their hearts.

Raynee's true story is one of our many featured testimonies from you, the members and visitors of this site. Each story reveals a life transformed by Christian faith. If your relationship with God has made a significant difference in your life, we would like to hear about it.
• Submit your testimony by filling out this Submission Form.
• To receive weekly messages of hope and encouragement from real-life stories of changed lives, sign up for eTestimonies.

• Featured Testimony: Raynee's Unbeatable Trio
• Web Witnessing: Danielle's Testimony

At last! The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opens in theaters (May 16, 2008). We can now return with the four Pevensie children to C.S. Lewis' hauntingly unforgettable land of Narnia. If you've read the book, you already know the children are magically pulled back after a year spent in England (for us—the viewing audience—it's been a long anticipated 2 and a half years), but in Narnia 1300 years have passed. During this time, Narnia has been taken captive by the evil King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) and the inhabitants of the once glorious kingdom have been driven into a dark forest exile.

The older and wiser Pevensie siblings—ancient Kings and Queens of Narnia—join forces with young Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), a type of Moses and the true heir to the throne of Narnia, to free the captives from their oppression and deliver them back into the restored splendor of Narnia. Like the children of Israel, the courage of the Pevensie children will be tested and their faith will be tried along the journey.

I'm thrilled to see the filmmakers have faithfully rendered to the big screen the many biblical themes that Lewis penned within The Chronicles of Narnia. You too will see them ... if you look for them. For example, sin's dark power to decay the heart of man, obscure his vision, separate him from God and keep him in bondage is quite evident in this motion picture. This is why some reviewers have described Prince Caspian as "darker" than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Both King Peter (William Moseley) and Prince Caspian eventually learn that they cannot defeat their powerful enemy in their own strength. In the end, and in his uniquely purposed way, Aslan uses the weaker, younger, rejected creatures of Narnia to win the victory over a strong enemy and restore beauty, harmony and light to the kingdom.

For the purpose of screen adaptation, the film plays out a bit differently than Lewis' book, yet the spirit of the tale is intact. Some viewers may be disheartened to find elements of the original story quite changed, but I was delighted to encounter several scenes precisely as I had imagined them. Perhaps just a bit of the magic is missing in this second film. The flip-flopped storyline, however, bothered me much less than the strangely unexpected "Antonio Banderas" accents of the Mediterranean looking Telmarines. (For some reason this detail seemed out of place in my imagination.) Still, there is much to be enjoyed, including many humorous moments laced with genuine "Shrek appeal." Read more...

This week's post is called A Graduate's Prayer. It is an original Christian poem for graduates based on the Word of God.

Image: © Davide Guglielmo
A Graduate's Prayer

Dear Lord,

As I look toward the future
Bright hope conducts this prayer,
For I know the plans you have for me
Were wrought with divine care.

Holy Spirit, lead me.
Let me run at your command,
Yet be still and know that You are God
When trouble's close at hand.

Your Word will be a lamp for me,
A guide to light my way,
A solid place to set my feet,
A compass when I stray.
Read more ... A Graduate's Prayer.

Do you have an original Christian prayer that would encourage or benefit a fellow believer? Perhaps you've written a unique poem you'd like to share with others. We are looking for Christian prayers and poems to encourage our readers in their communication with God. To submit your original prayer or poem, please fill out this Prayer / Poem Submission Form.

More for Graduates:

• Bible Verses for Graduates
• Prayer of Devotion
• A Prayer for Knowing God's Will

As a Christian man, how can you live your faith without compromise in a world full of temptations? Is it possible to maintain ethical standards in business, and personal integrity in your social life, when external pressures and internal forces are constantly enticing you away from the Christian life? In his article, "The Dilemma for Christian Men," Jack Zavada of Inspiration-for-Singles.com offers straightforward advice to help you hang tough and let Christ conform you into a godly Christian man of uncompromising character.

Regarding the dilemmas men often face in business, Jack says, "At some point we Christian men have to choose what matters most to us: climbing the ladder or holding onto the cross." And with respect to cultural pressures, he asks, "Are you as insulted as I am by 'men's' magazines? The editors seem to be obsessed with sex, six-pack abs and shiny objects. These publications are geared more toward chimpanzees than intelligent, moral human beings."

• Read More: The Dilemma for Christian Men

Who Are You Following? is a devotional reading about spiritual pride. It is part of the Light Reflection daily devotional series by Rebecca Livermore. Each devotional highlights a verse and topic from Scripture, offering a brief reflection of God's Word, and insight on how it can be applied to your life. This collection of devotionals will be expanded over the next several months and eventually offered in a daily email format.

• Read: Who Are You Following?

More About Spiritual Pride:

• Knowledge Puffs Up
• Too Proud to Ask for Help
• Boast Only About the Lord

While swimming in the Pacific Ocean, Gwyn began to wrestle with a violent current known as a riptide. At the same time her soul was battling an overwhelming wave of depression. The Lord's hand reached down miraculously into the rushing waters to save her body from drowning, and then God spoke life to Gwyn's soul through his mighty Word, completing the rescue. She has never been the same since.

Gwyn's true story is one of our many featured testimonies from you, the members and visitors of this site. Each story reveals a life transformed by Christian faith. If your relationship with God has made a significant difference in your life, we would like to hear about it.
• Submit your testimony by filling out this Submission Form.
• To receive weekly messages of hope and encouragement from real-life stories of changed lives, sign up for eTestimonies.

• Featured Testimony: Gwyn's Riptide Rescue
• Web Witnessing: God's Timing

_{Today I'm kicking off a new guest blog series called "Out & About Guest Blog," with Karen Wolff of Christian-Books-for-Women.com. This is your opportunity to hear from someone other than me! Periodically, I will go "out and about" in the online Christian community and invite guest bloggers to share their thoughts and insights about the Christian life with you.}

Happy Mother's Day!

I like being a mom. Of course, how much I like it depends on what day you ask me. Even though my kids are both technically gone from the nest, the nest still feels pretty full these days. I'm doing as much for my kids now as I did when they were actually here in my house. How did that happen?

Moms are an amazing group. They have the capacity to balance life and all its stuff better than anyone. And talk about the capacity to love? You won't find that special kind of love in any other relationship.

Can you imagine the pain in the heart of Moses' mom when she put him in the river? How could she let him go? She must've been beside herself with grief! I know I would've been.

But every mom in the world also knows that it's not always easy to love your kids all the time. Back in the day, I mean really far back in the day, there was Eve. The first mom. Can you imagine what it was like to have to deal with Cain and Abel? Talk about sibling rivalry run amok! Read more...

Anne Kimberly's Dark Well of Decision is a captivating, inspirational fiction novel for young adults that's not only packed with adventure, but also carries a gospel message for teens. The main character, 13-year-old Zoe, wants to believe in the God of her grandmother, but like any adolescent, she's focused on her own awkwardness. It's not until she finds herself in a desperate situation, lost and struggling to get out of a well, that she realizes Christ is the answer. The story is loaded with biblical truths that Zoe's grandmother has shared with her prior to her fall into the well. Zoe will draw upon these truths, as forces of good versus evil battle against each other.

Dark Well of Decision is Anne Kimberly's first novel, and the work does leave room for improvement. You'll have to look past its amateurish cover and sometimes confusing, sometimes too surreal story line. Yet, the tale is inspired with good biblical messages and the debuting novelist shows strong potential. Guest writer, Venice Kichura gives it 3.5 stars:

• Read Book Review: Dark Well of Decision

A reader, Jan, sent me this email:

I do have a query about Sundays. It seems to me that Peter still attended the Synagogue on the Sabbath in Acts 15:21. So, why and when did we decide that Sunday is set aside for Christ, rather than the Sabbath, or the seventh day of the week?

Many Christians and non-Christians alike have asked this question. After all, in Bible times the Jewish custom was, and still is today, to observe the Sabbath day on Saturday. We'll take a look at why a Saturday Sabbath is no longer observed by most Christian churches and attempt to answer the question, "Why do Christians worship on Sunday?"

• Read: Why do Christians Worship on Sunday?

Do you struggle with overwhelming and sometimes paralyzing fears? While thrill-seekers pursue the gut-twisting, adrenaline-rushing sensation of fear, many of us simply feel helpless in the face of certain fears. Yet, "fear not" is an expression we see repeatedly in the text of the Bible. Jesus spoke the Word of God throughout his ministry. When faced with the devil's lies and temptations, he countered with the truth of God's Word. The spoken Word of God is like a living, active and powerful sword in our mouths (Hebrews 4:12), and if Jesus depended upon it to face challenges in life, so can we. If you need encouragement from God's Word to overcome your fears, take strength from these fear-busting Bible verses about courage:

• Bible Verses About Courage

Also:

• Faith Building Bible Verses
• Prayer for Coping With Fear