(adapted from GiveHim15 post 8/8/22) “My daughter, Rachel Shafer, shares an important truth in her book, Expect God. She writes: “‘Several years ago, our youngest daughter Lily had major surgery. It was almost 12 hours long, extremely complicated, and included a long recovery time. We were a couple of weeksContinue Reading
This year our pastor has been preaching through a variety of spiritual disciplines and he’s currently talking about meditation. Meditation is just focusing intently upon something. In our spiritual lives, healthy meditation is about focusing deeply and intentionally – to “sink your teeth in” – and to ponder the WordContinue Reading
In addition to listening to Michael Card teach this week, I’ve started rereading a Philip Yancey book The Jesus I Never Knew. Between these two teachers I’m being immersed in a good measure of Jesus’s humanity. Theologians have decided (and most of the Church agrees) that Jesus was “both fullyContinue Reading
(this was originally published January 27, 2022) If I had to choose a metaphor for this era of time in our world, I would use that of a storm. Life can feel like we are constantly being tossed about by all the bad news (and there is much!) on topContinue Reading
One of my favorite Bible teachers is in town this week, teaching at our local Christian conference and retreat center. I first “met” Michael Card through his music in the early 1990’s and, although stylistically it’s not my favorite music, the richness of theology, story, and faith that is packedContinue Reading
(an encouraging word:) “For I, the Lord, this day am telling My children to rejoice even when it seems like you should do the opposite. Your enemy, right now, wants you in fear. He wants you to believe his lies. He wants you to quit and give in. He wantsContinue Reading
(adapted from GiveHim15 post 8/8/22) “God desires for us not to live in an atmosphere of weariness and frustration, but instead, an atmosphere of hope. We need to confront the appalling, dark atmosphere by binding it in the name of Jesus (Mark 3:27). We must refuse to live under aContinue Reading
A meditation on Hebrews 12:1 TPT. “As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathonContinue Reading
“Throughout the Bible, God’s heart to champion those who cannot help themselves is shown consistently, again and again. They may be people in poverty; those who are widowed; children or orphaned children; people battling illness or disability; those who’ve been trafficked or abused; or anyone else marginalized, wounded or depressed.Continue Reading
I spent over two hours this morning pulling weeds in the garden. I crawled on my hands and knees, plucking out foxtail, smartweed, lambs-quarters, and, yes, the ubiquitous pokeweed. (I’m still on a mission to keep every one of those pokeweed plants from producing seeds this year. It’s a battle.)Continue Reading