At a recent prayer seminar I asked the question: “How many of you would say you’re fully satisfied with your prayer life?” Women of all ages and spiritual maturity were in attendance and not surprisingly, no one raised their hand. We discussed some of the things that interfere with our ability to connect consistently and [...]
In Hebrew, the word Eden means “delight.” When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, it contained everything he’d need to enjoy life—streams, vegetation, rich soil, sunlight, plenty of food, and living creatures of every kind. God even provided another human (Eve), who would partner with Adam in ruling the world under God’s direction. [...]
I’ve always been a lover of books. Growing up in the 1950s, my life in MidAmerica was safe, predictable, and often boring. So I found my escape in books. Walking into a library back in those days was intoxicating. I can still remember the smell that assaulted you the minute you walked through the big, [...]
Sometimes we think our culture is particularly wicked and beyond God’s reach. We begin to imagine life without the influence of the Gospel and wonder: What will guide and inspire the generations that come after us if it vanishes from sight? But a cursory look at history will reassure us that "when the enemy comes [...]
Growing up I had an awesome older brother. He was five years older than me. To be sure, he wasn’t very pleased to share his home with a sibling at first. Rumor has it that he tried to trade me to my grandma for a cat when I was born. But as we grew up, [...]
In 1971 the English zoologist Desmond Morris wrote a classic study about human intimacy and how it develops. He suggested that all bonded couples go through twelve distinct stages that build on each other before the couple reaches full intimacy. The first two stages he proposes both involve our eyes. Morris called stage one “eye [...]
My prayer partners and I begin each year picking a word we want to learn more about and experience at a deeper level. Last year my word was “gratitude” and boy did it deliver! Knowing myself to be a “glass half-empty” person, I knew I needed to be reminded often that the glass isn’t just [...]
Psychological tests reveal babies less than an hour old will stare at faces far longer than any other object or pattern. They seem to “know” they need to recognize the faces of those who will care for them – those who can be trusted. By four months their brains are processing facial recognition at levels [...]
In recent years commonly used words in business have been incorporated into Christian circles. For instance, we hear Christian leaders talking about the mission and vision statements of their church or organization. A “mission statement” defines a company’s objectives and its approach to reaching those objectives. The focus is day-to-day operations. Questions related to a [...]
In the aftermath of Derek Chauvin’s trial (the man convicted of killing George Floyd) many of us are wondering What is our role as followers of Jesus in all of this? Is social injustice an important enough cause to join forces with the world to overcome? Are we in fact negligent in our Christian duty [...]
Adventuring with God 