Parchment & Pen Blog

Personal (Michael Patton)

My Depression Nearly Two Years Later


Comments 37 Comments

It is hard to believe it has been so long. Two years ago my mind broke. I wrote about it while in the darkness. I can’t believe it has been two years. No, no. This is not a “recovery letter.” This is not a testimony of victory. You know, a testimony: where I was before, [...]

My Meeting with Thomas Oden


Comments 30 Comments

I blame it on my “Friday Nights” I have with my kids. A “Friday Night” only comes every so often. The kids (Katelynn 12, Kylee 11, Will 8, Zach 4) get to stay up as late as they want, eat as much candy as they want, and drink as much coffee as they want and dad will stay [...]

A Short Defense of Christianity (to myself)


Comments 50 Comments

I see myself as an evangelical (lower case) Christian (uppercase) apologist. I think every Christian is an apologist to some degree. No, not a “professional apologist” like Rob Bowman, William Lane Craig, or Mike Licona, but we all have formulated some degree of warrant or justification for our faith. Just like everyone is a theologian, every [...]

An Open Letter to Myself


Comments 12 Comments

Dear Michael, Let me leave any accolades aside (as it might seem self-serving). Besides, as the old saying goes, nothing matters before the word “but” so I will spare you of having to skim through all that stuff. There are a few things that I would like to encourage you about. Please take this as iron [...]

Controlled by Fear


Comments 2 Comments

“Bang!!” The gun went off. My ears were ringing, my constitution shaken, and I, for a brief moment, felt as if I were in a dream. However, my heart did not stop, nor did I lose control of any bodily functions. I was quite surprised to see how composed I was. You see, before this event [...]

What Do You Think of the New Credo House Playlist? Thumbs Up or Down?


Comments 29 Comments

Name Artist Chasing Cars Snow Patrol Not Meant To Be Theory Of A Deadman You and Me Lifehouse Come Back Down Lifehouse Hanging By a Moment Lifehouse Boston Augustana Dirty Day U2 The Unforgettable Fire U2 Please U2 Yahweh U2 Walk On U2 Drops of Jupiter Train If You Could Only See Tonic Apologize Timbaland [...]

When I Feel Disqualified from Ministry Due to Depression


Comments 26 Comments

One of the first thoughts that I have when I get depressed is that I am no longer qualified for ministry. “How can you preach truth when it does not even help you get out of bed?” “You talk about a “deeper” and “truer” belief in Christ. Boy, a lot of good it does you.” [...]

On Losing My Joy


Comments 14 Comments

“Rejoice always.” 1 Thes. 5:16 Some of you remember that back in April, I went through a serious fall emotionally. It is what some people call “depression.” I wrote about it while fractured. In short, my mind broke. I don’t know how else to put it.  There was a black hole that suddenly showed up in [...]

On Break and Short Message About My Last Post


Comments 4 Comments

Hi folks, just in case you were wondering why there are no posts, I have been on vacation. Really quick: many people have expressed concern for me due to my last post on “leaving” Christ. Some of you know how I roll and know that this is just the way I often blog. I appreciate [...]

On Leaving My First Love


Comments 29 Comments

The best I can tell, it started about six years ago Jan. 4th. This is when I began to leave my first love. You know the reference. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (Rev. 2:4) Chilling. Even more chilling when you come to the realization that [...]

Is it Possible to Marry the Wrong Person?


Comments 163 Comments

While I was a singles’ pastor for six years, I often dealt with issues from those whom I had married. I had these issue in both premarital counseling and post-marital counseling. In post-marital counseling things got interesting. I would often sit in the presence of a discouraged wife or husband whose marriage was less than [...]

After 13 Years, I Am Becoming a Worse Husband


Comments 28 Comments

I often tell people that the moment you get married, you have relinquished the right to teach your spouse anything. I say that with a bit of tongue in cheek, but also with some seriousness. The seriousness reflects a problem of influence we have over our spouse. Human beings are funny creatures. We can be [...]

 

Sponsors

Follow Michael Patton On:

      

Can someone marry the "wrong" person?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Receive Blog via Email

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Categories

Buy Anything on Amazon & Support our Ministry

Blog Rules

Please adhere to the following rules to prevent banishment to Siberia (no offense to our Siberian visitors):

  • Do not use the blog to promote yourself, as your surrogate blog, or as an advertisement. I am sure you are interesting and have some really nice things to say, but you can get your own blog.
  • Do not call authors out for debate. You must count the cost (Lk. 14:31). You don’t want to get whipped up on anyway.
  • Keep your comments short. Like when your comments are longer than the blog, that is too long.
  • Read All 6 Rules

Search Parchment & Pen

Donate

If you believe in and benefit from this ministry, please consider becoming a parter by donating here. One-time and monthly donors are both greatly appreciated!

Get Email Updates Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon

For Email Marketing you can trust

Our Classes

Theological Word of the Day

Protestantism
A tradition in Christianity which found its self-identity as “Protestant” in the sixteenth-century Reformation. Protestantism began when the church, according to Protestants, lost the Gospel during the middle to late middle ages and reformers began to “protest” this loss. Martin Luther, often seen as the father of Protestantism, rejected the Pope”s claims to infallible authority, [...] continue reading