Writing things down is the best way I have found to sort and clear my mind. Three very different kinds of writing help me in this: morning pages, brain dumps, and bullet journaling.
Compass Plant Leaves and Apparent Randomness
The image above serves probably looks like a generic leaf to most people, but to me it is an entire sermon.
Fear is a Liar
Although social work is unpredictable and stressful at times, the worry and fear that I experience as a parent is far greater.
All Our Sins Borne for Us
All our wounds, the places we have hurt others and the places that we have been hurt, can be found there in the wounds in his hands and feet.
Empathy That Is Simply Divine
Jesus was human. He was us, for us.
More Than We Can Handle
The thought going with me through Lent this year is this: we should retire the phrase, “God never gives us more than we can handle.”
Digging Deep
Perhaps Lent is not so much for “giving up” as it is an invitation to “go deep,” to make space and time to feel the weight of our need.
It Has to be Ashes
Lent has a way of interrupting my life. I would even go so far as to say that most years lead up to Lent for me. I suppose that’s the point.
Dear Child
God has written you a letter, child. It says that your sins are forgiven and that you are never alone, that you have a people
Forgiveness
Always aware of the failures of those outside of our walls, we have ignored the many impediments hindering our own vision.
That Saved a Wretch Like Me
The reason we are so fearful of our sin, the reason we are so hesitant to acknowledge it, is because we are so used to it. We’ve become so accustomed to living a life of sinful patterns that, even though we may pay lip service to wanting to be holy, the fear of letting go of our sinful nature is overwhelming.
Advent Matters
Advent is a time and a space for us to prepare for the coming of so many things – Christmas parties, family members, and the new year ahead – but if we are not rooted and fixed on the person of Jesus coming into the world, the chaos that reigns in the month of December threatens to swallow us whole.
A Satisfied Soul
Knowing that God will keep his promises sustained David. And knowing that God will keeps his promises, both to destroy and to save, sustains us.
Run to Christ
As you thirst in a dry and parched land for something to give life and hope instead of sadness, worry, and despair—run to Christ.
That the Next Generation Might Know
Scripture is a living witness to that covenant family, full of the colorful stories of faith and failure and quirky personalities that characterize God’s people.
Seek the Lord While He May Be Found
Be vigilant and repeatedly seek time with the Lord in order to grow in relationship with Him and resist evil.
Bring it to God
As our refuge, as our source of protection, as One who abundantly loves us, God can and will listen as we plead our case.
Waiting Through the Night
We wait and hope for the perpetual morning, when all will be made right.
Cry Out to God
Even when we don’t feel God’s presence or God’s care for us, we know that God is present, and God is caring for his people.
Happiness, Blessing, and Flourishing
Perhaps the psalmist is right: those who listen to God’s word, who know it, who follow it, they are flourishing.
Returning to the Shore of the Stream
Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees. It’s helpful to retreat back to the stream in order to regain a longer, broader view of things.
Grow Roots
Take some time to let the roots grow deeper, time to nourish the spirit for the work of bearing fruit for a hungry world, time to meditate on the Words that give meaning and purpose and direction.
Following to Lead
In leadership, but also in the whole of life, follow the pattern of the psalmist: seek the good with a heart of praise. Like the king, live in and live out the Word. Like the shepherd, lead with humility and service. In your service, God is glorified, and we are given a gracious and priceless gift. Whatever that crown of glory may look like, it will never fade.
The Essence of Hospitality
Lack of hospitality is a big deal to God because it falsely represents the nature of God… especially when it is perpetrated by the church.
What Kind of Bread?
I think that we, just like the disciples, try to find our fill with bread that will not sustain us. We live for the “big experiences” in our faith – the mission trips, the conversion experiences, the prayers with first time believers and the miracles that we see in our daily lives.