“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 NIV Disciplined. Usually a word that describes me. However, as I get older, I’m fighting the flesh more. The temptation to indulge myself grows stronger and stronger. To…

My children tended to learn one of two ways: by example—or the hard way. God prefers we learn by example. “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” 1 Cor. 10:11 NIV God’s filled Scripture with good and bad examples: Job’s…

Check out this quote from C. S. Lewis: This reminds me of three demon apprentices who were being trained by the Devil on how they might be able to better populate hell. One demon said, “We can tell them that there is no God.” The Devil says, “No, that won’t work . . . people…

Coffee dates. A luxury I savor as much as a chai tea latte. Though they require some schedule juggling—deadlines wait for no one—the schedule contortions merit the pain. Time with friends refreshes my spirit. It gets me out of my home office where the walls can close in, my only companions wear fur, and they…

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…

“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…

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…