I have a new-found appreciation for the idea of a weekly Sabbath day. I haven’t had a day to spend at home in peace and quiet, free from distractions, for probably a month or more! I’m not complaining, mind you — lots of wonderful and exciting things have been going on, and I had anticipated [...]
I’m not quite up to my usual energy levels after last week’s illness, but I know I promised I’d embark on a series about the “oil of gladness” mentioned in Psalm 45:7 and Isaiah 61:3, so I’ll try to muddle my way through the first post and get the ball rolling! One of the things [...]
The last few months have been some of the most intense moments of my life, spiritually speaking. Lows, highs, and everything in between. The accompanying strain on the emotions has physically taken its toll on my body as well. I am absolutely convinced my recent illness was greatly exacerbated by my mental state, as generally [...]
I’ve been in a weird place the last few days…I watched an old home video of myself as a kid last Friday which brought back a flood of old memories and feelings that frankly I found overwhelming. I was surprised. It caused me to remember in stark detail how much energy I’d put into becoming [...]
Heard about this synchroblog over at robbymac asking about people’s first encounters with the Holy Spirit. What a great idea! Let me share mine with you…. In late 2004, I went on a physical diet as well as a spiritual diet. You can read more about the genesis of that in my testimony. I was [...]
I want to talk about something I discovered about myself a while back. After several months of mounting frustration and heartache over faltering projects and withering plans (this has been a rather difficult year in many ways), I was just about at my wits end when I realized something. I think God probably nudged me [...]
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Romans 8:15-16 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is [...]
Kris Vallotton of Bethel Church said something in a sermon I heard a while back that seared its way into my brain and has been really helpful for keeping me grounded in God’s eternal perspective. It went something like this: “don’t live by your circumstances, live by your stances.” Kris likes to say things in [...]
If God is a comfort, he’s more luxurious than fine silk or Egyptian cotton. If God is an invention, he’s more innovative than the wheel or the lightbulb or the iPod. If God is a phantom, he’s more alluring than the girl of my dreams. If God is a concept, he’s more fantastic than democracy [...]
I’ve come to the staggering conclusion that I don’t pray enough. I say that with a wry grin on my face because it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve realized that! The thing that keeps biting me in the rear is my propensity to getting sucked into playing around on the computer. It’s pretty [...]
