We all know times when we have felt like being in a cold, moldy, dark tunnel. It feels that in that place in time there is no way out. But with the words of Anne Lammott “hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: You don’t give up.” You don’t give up and you cling to the…
Pin ItAnytime you start doubting, go back to your Bible. Anytime your feelings tell you that there is no way out, take your Bible out. Anytime you want to be assured by God’s amazing love check out some of the Bible verses that include these two little words “but God”. They’re small words but they declare God’s powerful ways to operate in this world in a big way! I’ll share here just a few of the Bible verses so you can…
Pin ItThis famous altarpiece from Wittenberg shows us how to live, breath, preach, and teach. The main thing is to keep Christ in the center. The Holy Spirit moves everyone: male and female, young and old. Jesus is the word of God embodied, real and active in our lives. When we keep Christ in the center our faith starts flowing. When Jesus is in the center, our life is balanced and blessed. All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him…
Pin ItDisappointments are part of life. There will always be some sort of disappointments along the way. If we expect no hardships we will always be disappointed and might even become bitter. The trick here is to learn what to do with disappointments. Do we let the disappointments drag us away from God? Or do we give thanks even in the midst of hardships? Sure, it is hard. But when we praise God when we don’t feel like it, we are…
Pin ItWhat do you think? Is holiness old-fashioned? Fasting during the Lent is (for most Christians) a voluntary thing. But too often we think all the discipline and growing in grace is optional, too. Even if you are not interested in hidden blessings hidden through discipline, you are called to be holy like God is holy. Holiness is not voluntary. It is the new normal for children of God. Don’t be conformed to your former desires, those that shaped you when…
Pin ItThis time of year is a very fun but busy time in our household: a couple of birthdays plus Valentine’s Day. As I have been thinking about gifts I’ve come to this conclusion: The best gift to yourself, to others, and to God is to be present. Nothing compares to it. And God is the best example of this. Nothing compares to God’s presence in our lives. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out…
Pin ItIt’s Ash Wednesday. Time to remember that we are dust. Time to turn back to God and eternal things. Time to let go and let God cleanse our inner beings. Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me,…
Pin ItHave you ever experienced the sweetness of God? Because that is the essence of God. We only get little glimpses of it at this side of eternity but it’s real. It’s real, sweet, and wonderful. Knowing God is to know his sweetness. Being loved by God means being enveloped in his sweetness. Living in the Spirit is about enjoying the sweetness of God. The sweetness of God is readily available for all his children. It’s not magic but too often…
Pin ItFaith is about putting our trust in God. For a long time I thought it was just about putting my salvation in the hands of God. But it’s about putting my whole life – everything in me- in God’s hands. That’s not just eternity, it’s everything. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. (Romans 12:1, MSG) I’ve realized it…
Pin ItDo you know how to let go of bad habits? From my own experience I know that self-help does not work, right? So what to do? Are we doomed? I was contemplating it and Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430) came into my mind. He was famous for his bad habits before his radical conversion. According to Augustine his conversion was prompted by a childlike voice he heard telling him in a sing-song voice, “Take up and read”. Hence he…
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