God’s trust: Father, you have entrusted me with things I have not earned, deserved, or even asked for. I suppose at some point in life I have been drawn by your Spirit to see, appreciate, even care about the gifts you have put in me. Some time in my life you gave me a love for words. You have gifted me with the ability to write and speak—using the gift of words. I do not remember when or how you put this in me. Perhaps it was before I was born. Perhaps it is part of your unique fingerprint in ... Read More
The Four “R’s” of Psalm 46
When I was a child, they used to tell us that the purpose of school was to teach us the three “r’s”: reading, riting, and rithmetic. I’m not sure the author of that phrase was thinking it through. Nevertheless, here I am a lifetime later and I still remember what the three “r’s” are. In spite of the misspelling, the words clearly identify the necessary foundations of education. Well, for the moment I want to turn from the three “r’s” and give you four “r’s” that are vital for your life in ... Read More
Quiet Places
Now the Lord God planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. Genesis 2:8 One spring morning, I was working in my backyard flower garden. It does my soul good to dig in the soil. A friend gave me a stone engraving I’ve placed in my garden. It reads, “How lovely is the silence of growing things.” So often we are caught up in noise and activity. But the deepest growth often occurs in the most quiet places. Places of silence and solitude provide an atmosphere ... Read More
VACATING
We are in the days of vacations, summer events, special outings, and maybe a little extra time with the family. Especially after this season of virus isolation, these days may have a little extra importance. I always love the more leisurely pace of vacations. Time away from the phone, meetings, deadlines, and demands. We need those times. In fact, if we think about it, the word “vacation” means a time to “vacate.” Vacations should be times set aside to empty out, to let go, to pull back, and to ... Read More
Praise is Powerful
Psalms 33:1-5 Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Verse 1 tells us that “praise is fitting.” Why is that so? What makes praise fitting for the ... Read More
I Am God’s Thoroughfare into the World
I want to invite you to join me in praying one of my daily prayers. I know we all have our own prayers, but if this blog becomes a prompting from the Spirit, I would be pleased to gather with you in the throne room of our heavenly Father. And let us not forget that Jesus taught us there is increased impact where two or three agree in prayer (Matthew 18:19-20). Perhaps our unified prayer may bring multiplied blessing as we pray for our own lives, our families, and our church. My daily time of ... Read More
Be Still-Find God-Know Peace
The spread of our reach is determined by the depth or our roots. In nature, as well as in the Spirit, going deeper fosters stronger connection with the indwelling Spirit. So how do we go deeper? One vital spiritual practice for this season is “slowing.” Going deeper requires going slower. "Be still and know that I am God." In a world that is moving too fast, we must learn to go slower. Transformation does not happen at electronic speed but rather from spiritual stillness that takes root in ... Read More
Sharing the Life of Jesus—the deep end of the pool…
1 Corinthians 1:9 (TPT). God is forever faithful and can be trusted to do this in you, for he has invited you to co-share the life of his Son, Jesus, the Anointed One, our King. We are invited to a life of communion and co-participation with Jesus. This is a mystical reality -- co-sharing the life of God’s Son. Jesus uses a lot of language of mutuality. In John 17:26 he prays that “I myself may be in them.” This language of the indwelling Christ and our sharing of the divine ... Read More
You are God’s Gift
Acts 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy I am alive as a gift. Gifts are meant to be given. My first giving each day is to give myself to God. From that Source, my gift is energized, empowered, and enlightened. So God, I come to you. I present myself before you, acknowledging that I have come from you, you are my Source, my breath, my life, my all. Oh God, remind me today that you are not interested in my ... Read More
To Bless the World
Acts 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Each day is an opportunity to bless the world. Should we not bless the gift God has given us? Should we not fulfill the stewardship that has been entrusted to us? Our lives should be lived not merely survived. We are blessed in order to be a blessing. Here are some thoughts that flowed through me as I considered my calling to bless the world, to ... Read More