Find your true north.

By Dr. Layne McDonald, Founder of Memphis News with a Purpose Coverage beat: City & County Government Direct Answer First Memphis leaders are facing four difficult tests on Aug. 18, 2026: whether to pause new data-center development, how to respond to a sewer-bond credit downgrade, how to proceed in the delayed Tyre Nichols case, and how to protect students while control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools remains tied to a federal legal challenge. Each story involves more tha

Executive Summary If you are wondering whether the physical constants of the universe are random or meaningful, you are asking a serious question at the intersection of science, philosophy, and faith. Christians do not claim that fine-tuning mechanically proves God, but many see the universe’s astonishing precision as a rational sign that reality is not accidental and that a Creator is intellectually plausible. The physical constants of the universe do not by themselves forc

Executive Summary Direct answer: If science has left you amazed, skeptical, or spiritually unsettled, you are not foolish for asking where God fits. Yes, it is reasonable to believe in God in a complex scientific world because science explains physical processes without exhausting questions of existence, reason, meaning, morality, consciousness, or the historical claims of Jesus Christ. Last Updated: August 18, 2026 The modern world has given us extraordinary knowledge. We c

If you are caring for someone with dementia, you may feel pulled between prayer and practical decisions, spiritual hope and medical uncertainty, trust in God and the exhausting evidence of daily decline. You are not failing because you have questions. You are carrying a deeply human burden that requires both compassion and wisdom. Executive Summary: Christian dementia caregivers do not have to choose between faith and reason. A mature Christian approach welcomes medical knowl

Executive Summary Is belief in God rational? Yes: if rationality means following the best available explanation of reality with intellectual honesty, humility, and courage. Christian faith does not rest on one laboratory experiment or a single philosophical argument; it rests on a cumulative case involving the existence of the universe, the order of nature, consciousness, morality, historical testimony, Scripture, and the person of Jesus Christ. A rational faith is not blind

Executive Summary Christian creatives build a sustainable rhythm by designing their work around abiding in Christ, realistic capacity, protected Sabbath, and faithful process. Choose an amount of creative work you can repeat without damaging your health, relationships, or spiritual life. Separate creation from promotion, leave margin for recovery, and treat rest as a gift, not a reward for finishing everything. A sustainable creative life is not built on constant inspiration

Yes: it is reasonable to believe in God in a scientifically complex world. If you feel torn between intellectual honesty and spiritual longing, you do not have to choose one. Science explains measurable processes; philosophy, history, Scripture, and lived experience address wider questions of meaning, cause, morality, consciousness, and the person of Jesus. Executive Summary Modern science has expanded our understanding of the universe, but it has not eliminated every quest

Faith: Is Atheism a Religion? A Direct Answer for the Honest Seeker Atheism is generally not a religion. In its narrow sense, it is the absence of belief in gods or the rejection of the claim that gods exist. However, an atheist may also hold a comprehensive worldview, such as naturalism or secular humanism, with beliefs about reality, morality, meaning, and knowledge. That worldview can be compared with religion, but it is not identical to atheism. Direct answer: Atheism is

Can Faith Be Rational in a Scientific World? If you are asking this question, you may feel caught between two worlds: you value evidence and clear thinking, but you also sense that life contains realities science alone does not fully explain. That tension does not make you faithless. It may be the beginning of intellectual honesty. Christian faith does not ask you to fear science, suppress questions, or pretend certainty where you do not have it. It invites you to pursue tru

Executive Summary: A hard conversation does not have to become a permanent distance between you and your child. Connection can be repaired through emotional regulation, honest listening, a clear apology, appropriate boundaries, and small acts of consistent presence. Direct answer: Repair connection by calming yourself, returning without defensiveness, naming what went wrong, listening to your child’s experience, apologizing for your part, and reconnecting at a pace they can h