Confidence is a good thing, arrogance is not. Confidence grows from a place of faith and trust. Arrogance is an expression of pride. When it comes to expressions of our spiritual life, confidence demonstrates the great hope and strength that flows from a life of faith. It is encouraging and inviting, expressing the reason for the hope we have in God. Spiritual arrogance amplifies attention […]
In the face of challenges, embrace the possibilities of the new year.
Good things happened yesterday and more will happen today. In fact, good things happen every day. Sometimes, they happen in far away places where they go unnoticed due to our lack of knowledge. Other times, they happen right around us, but go unseen because of our lack of awareness. Just because we don’t recognize them doesn’t make them any less significant, we simply miss their […]
Sometimes, we have to work through the mess. Once again this year, I am participating in Inktober, a challenge created by artist Jake Parker to crest one ink drawing a day for the month of October. My first year was 2016, and the process was helpful in strengthening my drawing skills. This year, I am a little behind, but enjoying the process. Day one of […]
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and your faithfulness reaches to the […]
Even though it is tempting, we can avoid the bait of pointless contention.
In the last series of posts I wrote, one person commented about a distinction between God using our negative circumstances and God causing them. The latter was hard for them to embrace. I originally planned to respond to the comment in my post the following week in May 2015, and then, life took a serious change. As I approached the end of May, I started […]
Identifying the sources of negative spiritual gravity in our lives is the first step to breaking free. When we see what is holding us back, those things begin to lose some power in the light of that exposure, but knowing gravity exists will not give us the power to overcome its pull. We need to take active steps to move upward. Here are five steps […]
Busyness is not a sign of success, effectiveness, or importance, yet many live their lives as if it is. Busyness is a sign that our schedules are too full, and we are missing the opportunity to be fully present in the moment, focused on our true priorities. Of course, there are times, maybe even seasons, where circumstances require us to live with heavy agendas, but […]
One of keys to going deeper in our faith is a commitment to press into God. The concept of pressing in is often hard to fully understand and can sound like just another piece of Christian jargon. Once understood, however, it becomes a powerful tool in creating a robust Christian life. So, what exactly does it mean to press into God? Is it reading more […]