Getting Rid of STUFF Getting Rid of STUFF I’ve been preparing for a move for the past 12 months after 25 years in the same home. And by preparation, I mean getting rid of stuff. I sold stuff. I gave away stuff. And I tossed more stuff. All that...
Going for Spiritual Gold Have you been impressed as you watch the winter Olympics athletes? Men and women who are “all in” to achieve excellence in their chosen field. Pushing their bodies to the limits of endurance, and sometimes even past those limits. Being...
The Greatest Command is the Greatest Challenge Quick—what’s the greatest command in the Bible? And what does the greatest command look like in our lives when we obey it? Matthew 22:37 records Jesus’s answer to the question, “Which is the greatest commandment in...
Perseverance in the Face of Obstacles “Size” is relative. The smaller we are, the larger everything else appears. Years ago, during a visit to my childhood church, I gazed in amazement at how tiny the classrooms were. I didn’t remember them being that small...
Growing in Grateful Dependence You’d think I’d learn by now. I mean, how many times do I have to experience the same lesson before I get it? This Thanksgiving season is a reminder for me to be grateful. And that gratitude is also related to a season of...
Hiding Behind a Mask What do comic book superheroes and villains, children on Halloween, and masquerade balls have in common? You probably guessed masks. Masks conjure up images of mysterious strangers and sinister villains. Or superheroes and playful children...
Response to Tests: Whine, Recline, or Shine? I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys taking tests. Yet life is full of tests, isn’t it? Students take exams, we take a test to qualify for a driver’s license, and we even refer to medical lab work as blood tests....
Can We Shed More Than Our Skin? I found an unwelcome surprise outside my front door again. Another two-foot-long snake skin. It wasn’t the first, and I doubt it will be the last. Not an appealing sight. And of course, now I’m wondering where the creature is...
Forty Years in the Wilderness Have you ever felt as if God has you in an extended wilderness experience? You feel stuck in the last place you ever wanted to be. A time of testing that might even feel like God has abandoned you or that you’re under some sort of...
What Cloud Are You Living Under? Are you living under a cloud? Joe Btfsplk was a character in the classic comic strip, “Li’l Abner.” Poor Joe always appeared with a raincloud hovering over his head—a cloud that followed him his entire life. Many live with a...
Are You “Wildflower Dating” or “Snowmanning” God? As I talk to singles today, I often wish for a slang...
Blessings in Disguise Ever hear about a guy named Jabez? He was all the rage 25 years ago, or at least his...
Funeral of My Independence So many funerals in the past several months. Funerals commemorating the end of physical...