grasping for words
Some days, it’s not so much about WHAT to write, but WHERE to begin. I sit here, staring at my laptop—the breeze blowing through the tiny little hideaway from which I have been hiding—and my thoughts won’t slow down long enough for me to catch one and throw it up on the screen. Grasping for words usually isn’t an issue for me. Unless, of course, there are more words than I know what to do with. The last three months of hit-or-miss writing have not been born out of a lack of words as much as an overabundance of them. Heavy words like pain, depression, fatigue, or illness....
Read Moreyou tell me: turning points
What do you sense God might be prompting you to turn from? To? What most gets in the way of doing this? What can you do about that? What will you do?
Read Moreword of the day: trust
trust n. To have or place reliance; depend; Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. To be confident; hope. To have or place confidence in; depend on Reliance on something in the future; hope. To expect with assurance; assume: I trust that you will be on time. To believe: I trust what you say. To place in the care of another; entrust. The condition and resulting obligation of having confidence placed in one To grant discretion to confidently: Can I trust them with the boat? To extend credit to. trust n. Synonyms: trust, faith, confidence,...
Read Morebecoming a better me: trust
Here we are in week three of our quest to become BETTER—to be conformed into the image of Christ and become bearers of his likeness—and we have discussed, so far, our need to BEGIN by overcoming inertia-causing fear and to EMBRACE the life-changing grace of God. The next item on our biblical resolution list: TRUST. To become better, we must trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty. Trust is a tricky subject—it’s difficult when we’re talking about trusting other people, let alone talking about trusting God. It can be hard, sometimes, to trust in someone you can neither...
Read Morebeginning the good work
Here, friends, is where the rubber first meets the road. If we are to desire to become BETTER—to become more like Jesus—we must first get out from under our warm and fuzzy blanket of comfortable complacency and we must BEGIN the pursuit. Robert Collier writes, “Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is started, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance.” All the planning and praying in the world does not accomplish even the tiniest bit if we do not ever take that...
Read Moreword of the day: expectation
Definition of EXPECTATION: A strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. A belief that someone will or should achieve something. The act or state of expecting : eager anticipation. The basis for expecting : assurance. The state of being expected. EXPECTATION redefined: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 What are YOU expecting this...
Read Morechoosing to see
When working with couples gridlocked in conflict and resentment, there is an exercise I often have them do in an attempt to shift their focus. We begin with a modification of “The Miracle Question,” which goes a little something like this: “Let’s say you wake up tomorrow morning, and it becomes immediately evident a miracle has happened overnight while you were sleeping. The miracle transformed your marriage into the exact type of relationship you’ve always desired to have with your spouse. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn near close. What is different? How are you...
Read Morethe epitome of hope
There is quite possibly no memory more magical than that of our childhood Christmas tree. I would sit for hours in front of ours, just gazing into its branches, mesmerized by each light, each trinket, each bit of glitter or glow. I would beg to have it put up, and I would beg for it to not be taken down. For me, Christmas was heralded in by the arrival of the large box in the living room, reluctantly brought down from the attic by my father, ready to be assembled by my mother and I, at least for as long as she could tolerate my “help.” I remember hanging the delicate glass balls of color...
Read Moreliving in the moment
As I was sitting on the beach this morning, recovering from my tryptophan overdose, I was struck by this section from my reading and thought it fitting to share: Joseph Campbell suggested that there is a unique track, a particular life adventure, waiting for each one of us, and when we step forward to embrace our adventure, doors begin to open that we never saw before, doors that could not open for anyone else. It was Campbell’s belief that our real work in this world is to achieve integrity between what we believe and how we live. “The privilege of a lifetime,” he...
Read Moreyou tell me
I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken...
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