In the spiritual wilderness, where God feels far away. Nothing feels real. Nothing seems to satisfy. But this is just a season. It will not last. The Lord is always near and he is always true. This is not my first time in this place. I have been here before. The scenery changes, but…
God is showing me that I can either worship Him or other people’s opinions, but I cannot do both. I think this is part of what it means in Exodus 34:14 (NIV) when it says, “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” We cannot serve more…
In a world that worships busyness, stillness is a form of dissent. In a world addicted to distraction, silence is an act of rebellion. Contemplation is revolutionary. Be still. Be silent. Be. ~Robert Van Valkenburgh
I once attended a workshop at the local Holistic Chamber of Commerce where one of the presenters talked about the difference between skill and purpose. The gist of what she said was, “Just because you are good at something, does not mean it is your calling.” I don’t remember most of her talk or…
I am a sinner. That is an indisputable and undeniable fact. I sin many times every day. I sin in ways I don’t even see or understand. It is part of my nature and I will be a sinner until the day I die because one sin is too many when standing face-to-face with…
God’s will is often hidden from me. It is unclear, in the day to day comings and goings of my life, exactly where he is guiding me, at least in this life. I have faith in his word and his will, and I am willing to conform to his plans, but sometimes I feel…
I want to be a kinder person. I want to be gentler and slower to anger. I want to be more tender and compassionate. I want to listen more than I talk, and I want to create a more peaceful and less violent world around me. I want these things because I believe that…
I find that it is much easier to petition God for help when I am in pain than it is to remember to thank him once that pain subsides. It’s not for lack of desire. I truly want to praise God in all things, not just when I feel like I need him. As…
In Matthew 7:2, Jesus says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (NIV).” I always interpreted this as meaning that how I judge others now will be how I am judged by God later. This may be…
I am not a Christian because I am a selfless, upstanding, and moral person who does everything right and is beyond reproach. On the contrary, I am a Christian because I am a flawed, broken, and sinful person who, without God, makes selfish and harmful decisions that lead only to despair. It was not…