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In Mark 6:30-32, Jesus called the disciples for a getaway. Remember those? Getaways? You and your sweetheart. Time alone. No interruptions. No responsibilities. Getting away with God has some challenges. Even Jesus had to search for a quiet spot, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house…

February points us toward chocolate, Valentines, and love, so this month, our training centers on dating God. Jesus gave this warning to the church of Ephesus, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first (Rev. 2:4 NIV).” We do well to heed this one, because we live the…

Refusing to love? This quote from the author of A Wrinkle in Time stopped me. “The refusal to love is the only unbearable thing.” Madeleine L’Engle Like a tiny gift that gets lost behind the larger packages and is only found when the brittle Christmas tree is hauled away, I knew I had discovered something…

Hannah More spoke of dealing with sin. Specifically, small ones. Those little faults we brush off until they grow into big problems. “We must make certain that the infant shall never become a giant.” -Hannah More (1745-1833) Like algebra concepts, small sins build on one another. Give them room, and soon, they think they own the place.…

“Be still, and know that I am God; . . .” Psalm 46:10a (NIV) Just the facts. That’s what I want. For God to spell it out, step by step, where to go, what to do, with whom, the end result, and all the whys behind it tied neatly with a bow. God, instead, puts…

Instant goose bumps. Instant answers. Instant change. The exception, not the rule in Scripture. What’s a lot more normal? Perserverance. Noah spent 100 years digging out splinters, shaking sawdust from his feet, and pleading with lost neighbors as he built the ark (Genesis 6-7 NIV). Abraham and Sarah endured twenty-five years of negative pregnancy tests…

My feet dig into the cedar mulch of life’s playground as I struggle to master the seesaw of calling. Work on one end, relationships on the other. One soars, the other plummets. Thud. Yet, balance leaves me motionless, feet dangling in midair, mouth dry as the 60 Minutes theme plays in my head. Then God…

Today’s post, Part 2, continues our discussion from last week of a recent class assignment: Visit a museum, choose a piece of art, and write on it. Carl Rungius titled this painting Caribou’s Death Struggle. Last week, we focused on the battle between brothers. The two caribou battle to the death, but inadvertently lock horns. The…

Today’s post stems from a recent class assignment: Visit a museum, choose a piece of art, and write on it. Carl Rungius titled this work Caribou’s Death Struggle. The two caribou battle to the death, but inadvertently lock horns. Trapped, the victor faces death himself. When I saw this painting, I immediately thought of Galatians…

One of my dearest friends passed away last Tuesday after a battle with cancer. We made an unlikely pair, Becky and me. She was everything I’m not. Extroverted. Set a Martha Stewart dinner table. Laughed easily while glowing with a deep love for others. When I first met Becky Done, she struck me as kind…