Sometimes I wonder how I am doing spiritually. Am I becoming more like Jesus, or stagnating? Jesus said He would spit the lukewarm out of His mouth, and I sure don’t want that. So I ask myself some questions to try to measure this phenomenon, such as: Have I been reading and studying my Bible? What good books on theology have I read lately? Am I doing the discipline of daily devotions? Am I listening to worship music and worshiping fervently with other believers? Am I serving at church? At first glance, these might seem like good questions to use as markers on our spiritual Continue Reading
Your Prescription For Peace
It takes a lot more emotional energy to set the world straight than it does to simply forgive those who offend us and move on. I needed to refill a prescription that I was almost out of. I called it in, but the doctor’s office had gotten behind, and the girl told me in a rather testy tone that I needed to give them forty-eight hours notice next time. Fair enough, I thought, and decided to check on Monday to see if the pharmacy had gotten the order. They did not. By Tuesday, I had made a total of six phone calls between the pharmacy and the doctor’s office. Finally, the same girl, in the Continue Reading
How to Keep Time On Your Side
It rules and structures our lives. It is familiar and comforting to us. And it feels like we never have enough of it. Time can be a tyrant or a friend. “Time is an illusion, time is a curse; time is all these things and worse,” sings Amy Grant. That’s true if we live bound by time-consciousness, unable to enjoy the presence of God in the present moment because we are mentally checking over our to-do list. On the other hand, I’ve heard it said, “Time is your friend.” If we are comfortable with letting time go by, refusing to anxiously micro-manage every minute, time really can be our Continue Reading
Why You Can’t Let the Little Things Slide
Have you heard the story of the frog that was put in a cooking pot and happily stayed put while he gradually boiled to death? He just didn’t notice that the water was getting hot. I feel bad for the frog, but he illustrates a point. It’s the subtle changes that can catch us unaware. A couple of summers ago, we put a vinyl roll-up shade on the outside of our dining room window to cut the heat of the morning sun. It was pure white when we hung it, and let in plenty of light. We could enjoy a cool breakfast without feeling trapped in a dark cave. Nice. Last fall, I opted not to wash and Continue Reading