<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[CTM]]></title><description><![CDATA[CTM]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:58:29 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Cherish the Rod]]></title><description><![CDATA["Spare the rod and spoil the child" might be the most misunderstood verse in the Bible. A Christian author recently approached me about this verse, thinking it sounds harsh but probably wasn't meant that way. We went on to discuss Psalm 23, which says, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." If the rod were an instrument of pain, King David wouldn't have described it as a comfort in the 23rd Psalm. Actually, the rod was an instrument of guidance. As David well knew, the rod and the staff...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-cherish-the-rod</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d9422e4750526d40bd3957</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:04:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_f3516dfa82c344fba8d6fb82a0365120~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast Blog: S5, E23 - Jessica Deyoung, What Obedience Looks Like]]></title><description><![CDATA[What happens when two podcasters get together, both focused on putting faith into practice? A wonderful give-and-take of ideas, most of them coming from the guest for this episode, Jessica Deyoung. Deyoung's ministry primarily serves women, especially those who are unseen and unheard. In this episode, I’ll ask Deyoung about living our faith, especially in terms of obedience to God in all situations. Deyoung has interesting insights and stories regarding the concrete ways we can listen to and...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/podcast-blog-s5-e23-jessica-deyoung-what-obedience-looks-like</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d5819833362686b5d6aada</guid><category><![CDATA[Podcast-related]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:48:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_8255d0de4b854486bd00194e204e285f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Crying Out to the Father]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was walking along the Via Dolarosa in the Old City of Jerusalem when a man strode past me, trailed by a little boy, crying out to his father. "Ab-BA! Ab-BA!" This is not how you actually pronounce "Abba" as we see it in the Bible. Compare it to shouting, "Dad-DY! Dad-DY!" The father stooped to speak softly to his son, then sent him back to his mother. This modern-day scene compares to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In agony as he awaited his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus cried out to...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-crying-out-to-the-father</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c562e85ed83abd8bbc3518</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:00:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_2928eb3903cb4411a3cc7bd9bf6b3e5b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Messy, Inconvenient Discipleship]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of my favorite practical faith sayings is if we aren't living messy, inconvenient lives, we're not following Jesus closely enough. I want to explain this further, as I think the saying on its own could be misinterpreted. The heart of the comment is Jesus invites us out of comfort into trust. Comfort implies order, consistency, coziness, and little risk-taking. Jesus has bigger things in mind for us. For example, inconvenience. In the Good Samaritan parable, the priest and the Levite...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-messy-inconvenient-discipleship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c554511f04cf599d6197cc</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:00:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_f4154ba4140541a7981555f696aa7344~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast Blog: S5, E22 - Allen C. Paul, Creating with the Creator]]></title><description><![CDATA[Are you creative? A study showed that people who think they are creative, are creative, while people who think they aren't, are not creative. The results indicate a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our view of ourselves can restrict our creativity. Jazz pianist Allen C. Paul argues we are all creative because we possess the imprint of our Creator. Paul expresses his creativity largely through music, but he believes all people of all ages possess creativity. In this episode of the Practical Faith...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/podcast-blog-s5-e22-allen-c-paul-creating-with-the-creator</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c3fd1b043183ace6e027dc</guid><category><![CDATA[Podcast-related]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:29:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_88967d629e1544a19ce2ec268ad1e9d8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Community is Where Humility and Glory Touch]]></title><description><![CDATA[We had a saying within the multi-national company in which I used to work: "It's hard to be a jerk to someone you've had dinner with." It was true. When encountering through email a difficult colleague that you had never met, it was pretty easy to criticize them harshly or address them with less respect. But once you had met that person face to face, you treated them differently. And especially if you had taken time to sit down to dinner with them. This post's picture shows a picnic table...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-community-is-where-humility-and-glory-touch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b212a8ecfce39c49a841ac</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:00:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_071e3ecca7334919acad6edf34175849~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_712,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: When the Problem and the Solution are Both Distasteful]]></title><description><![CDATA[How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. -- Habakkuk 1:2-3 (NIV) As I write another promised Lenten blog entry about lament, perhaps we people of today can relate to the lament of the prophet Habakkuk. He lamented to God about the condition of Judah. All seemed torn and...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-when-the-problem-and-the-solution-are-both-distasteful</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b1fdaf2af249fb5ce37fd3</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:00:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_8ae21a340cf24d92a4fc1bb83b222233~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast Blog: S5, E21 - Marit Welker, Waiting for Your Child to Return]]></title><description><![CDATA[One in four families experiences estranged relationships. Because it's such a common phenomenon, even in her own family, Marit Welker has developed a coaching option for estranged parents. This is the first podcast interview I can recall that is a logical sequel to an earlier podcast. Welker reached out to me after listening to episode 19 with Ashley Kinkead and her formula for repairing estranged relationships. Welker has more to say about the process based on her personal experience on both...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/podcast-blog-s5-e21-marit-welker-waiting-for-your-child-to-return</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69af0b70de5ad9153e0b55a4</guid><category><![CDATA[Podcast-related]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:16:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_2942eb7865bf4f1da6066323963d8221~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Freewheeling Blog: Ridiculous Clothes for Ridiculous Moments]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have you ever had an episode where you say, "This is the most ridiculous moment of my life?" And then you experience another that tops the first? I've had several "most ridiculous moments," but I've narrowed them down to two equally crazy scenes to share with you. The first occurred during my junior year of high school in Poteet, Texas, after I was chosen as King of the Strawberry Festival therein. I mostly enjoyed fun, wonderful experiences, but I came across a ridiculous moment in my final...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/freewheeling-blog-ridiculous-clothes-for-ridiculous-moments</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ab10ed7fac2e2861fe7fba</guid><category><![CDATA[Freewheeling]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:30:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_739b55538f1e41aa8ea2b02c6fa48b52~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: We Are But Bubbles]]></title><description><![CDATA[I got sloppy with the dish soap, and bubbles flew into the air. I watched one in particular as it traveled along. As soon as it touched the sink, it burst, never to be seen again. That bubble made me think all of us are bubbles, similar to what James 4:14 (NIV) says: What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. We really don't want to think we're as insignificant as a bubble. After all, we believe the ruler of the universe wants a personal relationship...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-we-are-but-bubbles</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a9b853b5dd05873346a86a</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:00:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_d71157db09b2481c840a86940fa9671e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: How Practical Faith Makes Disciples]]></title><description><![CDATA[As I was applying to exhibit at a church marketing conference, I came across a question I had never had to directly answer before. "How will your display and materials contribute to the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?" But I had an answer. Here is what I wrote: I firmly believe that when we put faith into practice, we will show Christ to the world and make disciples in the process: through our love; through our acts of service; through...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-how-practical-faith-makes-disciples</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a0ad6daac6e7cda9148ec6</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:00:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_9a4fa40a1e494bfab6e33ffe2c7dc157~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast Blog: S5, E20 - Randy Bishop, A Journey of Becoming]]></title><description><![CDATA[At some point in our life, I think each of us wakes up and says, "I'm not very happy with my life." Sometimes, this moment leads to a journey of self-discovery. Randy Bishop went through that process last year. What emerged was a person who likes himself better and takes a simpler, lighter touch to make sure he is who he wants to be, and not what someone else wants him to be. Bishop has captured his change process in a new book, "The RE Method: A Framework to Becoming.”  In this episode,...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/podcast-blog-s5-e20-randy-bishop-a-journey-of-becoming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699ce12f9b838a9bc8760eda</guid><category><![CDATA[Podcast-related]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:45:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_072f96352f9541f6a38fcd614fbf8a17~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Faith Leads to Lament Leads to Faith]]></title><description><![CDATA[I promised in my January Ministry Connections newsletter (please subscribe on the Cecil Taylor Ministries home page) that I would post some blogs during Lent on lamenting. Lament is the practice of expressing deep sorrow, grief, or regret to God, not only as a complaint, but as a faithful way to process pain, sin, or loss, often leading back to trust and hope in God. I like what Ryan Higgenbottom wrote: When we meet hardship, our natural state is grumbling. But it takes faith to...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-faith-leads-to-lament-leads-to-faith</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69974aaad90893e69ff84cae</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_722136df572343fe818e952ae5b2b2e8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Until We See]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why did Jesus have to heal the blind man of Bethsaida twice? Mark 8 tells the unusual story of a miracle that seems to have failed. Verses 23-25 (NIV) read: He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored,...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-until-we-see</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698e07bd7b236987751c094d</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 14:00:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_1f3880c675894458bfac04f0c40bdf31~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_622,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Freewheeling Blog: Thanks for the Candy]]></title><description><![CDATA[As Valentine's Day approaches, and I start pondering how to celebrate the holiday, my mind wanders back to a Valentine's Day in seventh grade. When I moved to a new town in sixth grade and started middle school, I met "Daisy." To me, she was so pretty and smart. Quickly, I figured out that in our small class in this tiny town, she was the smartest girl, and I was the smartest boy. It only made sense for us to be together, right? That spring, Daisy accepted my offer of becoming her boyfriend....]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/freewheeling-blog-thanks-for-the-candy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698605b5cafaaac4884133f5</guid><category><![CDATA[Freewheeling]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:00:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_ded71d203e7e4f878795b3895639f4af~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_996,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast Blog: S5, E19 - Ashley Kinkead, Repairing Estranged Relationships]]></title><description><![CDATA[Can you imagine going 22 years without being in contact with your parents - not even knowing your father's whereabouts? Or caring? And then not only reconnecting, but repairing the relationships and starting over? That's Ashley Kinkead's journey. She shares her story and her learning in this episode of the Practical Faith Academy podcast, and in her new book, "After the Locusts: A Story of Hope for Anyone Estranged or No Contact with a Parent". One thing that struck me about this episode was...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/podcast-blog-s5-e19-ashley-kinkead-repairing-estranged-relationships</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69879071b39e505046c45145</guid><category><![CDATA[Podcast-related]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 19:29:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_c2847ea18a1a4227af61f5f8f0472a97~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Respond to Evil with Good]]></title><description><![CDATA[Over the years since I first read " The Road Less Traveled " by M. Scott Peck, Peck's comment about evil has stuck with me. His words pop into my head from time to time, and they have done so again lately. Peck wrote: "Evil is strangely ineffective as a social force. . .Evil backfires in the big picture of human evolution. For every soul it destroys - and there are many - it is instrumental in the salvation of others. Unwittingly, evil serves as a beacon to warn others away from its own...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-respond-to-evil-with-good</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6984c79c889819a51f0cc802</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:00:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_2dd78ef8341e424195d23aa6653d9b78~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_960,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: The Carpenter's Paradox]]></title><description><![CDATA[Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV) Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." I've read this verse many times and pondered how to apply it to my own life. But this time,...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-the-carpenter-s-paradox</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b903289cb09c5cdeb7932</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:00:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_3481d36e56f44bbfbffffb983848877e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_854,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast Blog: S5, E18 - Oluwole Babatunde, Making Meaning from Life Events]]></title><description><![CDATA[Imagine a 13-year-old boy in Nigeria who has just lost his father after his mother passed six years earlier. How can he make sense out of what has happened? Why did God allow this to happen? How can he survive, much less succeed in life? This is the story of Oluwole Babatunde, who leaned on his developing faith to get through this crisis. He eventually came to the United States and became a psychiatrist in South Carolina. Now Babatunde has written his first book, "Adapt and Advance," which he...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/podcast-blog-s5-e18-oluwole-babatunde-making-meaning-from-life-events</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6974007e16ee2e05645aaa1f</guid><category><![CDATA[Podcast-related]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 02:30:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_5769b32b1e87474584cd765cfbcd6e0f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Fear Builds Rooms Inside Us]]></title><description><![CDATA[“I’m just gonna take a saw to it,” I told my wife. My crummy hose, which was going to get thrown out anyway, seemed permanently stuck to the outdoor faucet. No matter how I twisted and sprayed and tried different tools, it wouldn’t budge. Sara was nervous about me sawing through the hard plastic connector. I don’t have a great track record on home repair projects, but I figured I could do it without disrupting the faucet threads. We deal with fear every day. Fear is a natural instinct. But...]]></description><link>https://www.ceciltaylorministries.com/post/seven-day-practical-faith-blog-fear-builds-rooms-inside-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69715985cf778e0a7c39c14a</guid><category><![CDATA[Seven-Day Practical Faith]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:04:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3bb57_04b4e22ed5af42d4a8ee51ce47431cd5~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_970,h_725,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>cecil2748</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>