“Is it worth it?” I continue to ask myself. Getting up early is not easy for me, but there are some emerging benefits that are making me rethink my plans and priorities. As I mentioned in my previous post, my schedule has seen a lot of transition recently, that led to more early morning time for devotion and prayer. In the brief time since these […]
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35 ESV What if there really is a hidden spiritual value in quiet, early mornings? I’ve been asking myself this question recently, and I am afraid that the answer might be, “Yes.” After some recent dental surgery, […]
Yesterday, I went back to the gym. and found some spiritual insight as well. When I moved back in July, I left the membership in my gym behind with a promise that I would find one quickly after getting settled in our new community. I could argue that it took me nearly eight months to settle, but truthfully, getting back into an exercise routine got […]
“I don’t want to study!” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard those words, and how many times I said them. There are times when all of us would rather not expend the metal effort to take in more information. Sometimes we feel too tired or maybe the material does not excite us, but whatever the reason, we don’t feel like learning any […]
“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” so say the classic words of the childhood story of the little chicken who clamored for attention. They are words we remember, and sadly, words we hear every day. There are numerous voices that attempt to speak into our thoughts and lives every day. Some speak blessing and hope, while others curses and fear. Some come with […]
Have you ever stumbled upon a quote, a scripture, a hymn or prayer that suddenly exploded with significance to you? It is amazing how amid all of the words and images of each day, something of deep meaning can break through. It is one thing to find those treasures while on retreat or in a time of intense reflection. It is something even more amazing […]
My adult Sunday School class recently asked me if we could find a study of how the early church fathers read and understood the Bible. I must say that as a pastor, a request like this really warms your heart. I spent some time looking for possible studies to use, but in the end, chose to write the study myself. I started working on the […]
Recently, I had to take a small break from my exercise routine. After I received the go ahead to return, I found that the break had given birth to significant decrease in my desire to hit the gym. I frequently found myself saying, “I should get started again,” or, “I really should go back to the gym,” but what I did not find was myself […]
Yesterday, while I was out with my family, we passed a man reading the sports section of the newspaper while he was waiting for the light to change. We all laughed and I began thinking about our growing passion to attempt to fit more into our busy schedules. We hurry from place to place, working as we go thanks to our Bluetooth headsets, voice recorders, […]
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that […]