Why I Wear a Toe Ring

Karen Ehman

"Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves." 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV)

I remember begging my mom to get my ears pierced. I was in 5th grade and only one other girl in my class had hole-less lobes. I pleaded my case. "But Mooooooom! EVVVVV-ERYONE has their ears pierced but Heidi and me!"

That year on my birthday, she took me to the Meijer Thrifty Acres grocery store where a nice lady in the jewelry department pierced them for me.

The pain was worth the cool.

When I was in college, my friend Carmen got one ear double pierced. She said she did it to remind her that she belonged to the Lord; that she was His slave.

Yoke in the Bible – Definition | Word Study

BIBLE SEO

Definition of Yoke:

• In literal sense, the word ‘Yoke’ means a bar of wood, so constructed as to unite two animals (usually oxen), enabling them to work in the fields, drawing loads, pulling instruments used for farming.
• Figuratively, It is a symbol of
  • Slavery (1 Tim 6:1)
  • Servanthood (Lev 26:13:”I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” Also Jer 27:8-12)
  • Submission, Forced Subjection
  • Burden, Load
  • Oppression (Is 9:4)
  • Bondage to Sin (Lam 1:14: “My sins have been bound into a yoke, by his hands, they were woven together…”)

• The Plowman (farmer) binds the yoke upon the neck of the oxen, so that it would not fall off or be shaken off. Yoke bound around the neck of man would cause his strength to diminish, one may waver and fall under the yoke (load).

Chuck Colson's Motto : Faithfulness Not Success

Dr. Ray Pritchard

The news that Chuck Colson died today brought to mind a visit to his office eleven years ago.

It happened a few weeks after 9/11 when a team from Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL spent the night at Prison Fellowship headquarters in Virginia. The next morning we were given a tour of the facilities, including a brief visit to Chuck Colson’s office. Since he was out of town, we were invited to go in and look around. One of us spotted a sign on the wall right above his desk. It was placed at eye-level so Mr. Colson would be sure to see it when he was sitting down. The sign contained just three words: