2020 is the year the world got sick and the wackos came out of the woodwork. Or so it seems.I have never seen such strong polarization among the world as I know it. People's emotions are on edge, the verbal sparring always threatening to overwhelm anyone wanting to engage in simple conversation. Feelings are hurt, …
Tag: hearing God’s voice
Father, in the heavens
A few months ago I stumbled across a snippet of advice that became transformational in an unexpected way. When the deluge of information about COVID-19 first hit, including the instruction for frequent hand-washing, someone on Facebook suggested praying the Lord's Prayer while washing our hands. The idea stuck with me since I work as a …
Changing the World by Listening
The world is full of noise. If you are like me, you find it very overwhelming. Social media hasn't helped curb the constant stream of ideas, feelings, and opinions flooding our personal spaces. I have often thought about the lost art of listening. I believe one of the primary ways that God touches broken lives …
When God doesn’t heal, and what it says about faith
Often I hear a particular narrative that bothers me. I just heard it again from a respectable pastor in a conservative, Bible-believing church. The scenario goes something like this. A man we will call Daniel gets very sick. He goes to the doctor and discovers that he is full of cancer. Now Daniel loves Jesus …
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Wandering in the Wilderness
I have always viewed a spiritual wilderness as a blessing in disguise; an intensely painful and lonely place, yes, but a good place.The wilderness is a place or season in our lives where God strips away what is precious to us so that we are able to hear Him. Many times in the Bible, God …
Hearing the Voice of Jesus, by Ryan McKelvey
“Lord, to whom else would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” (John 6:68) We were halfway through our four-day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. We were long past the beauty of the Potomac River, but too far from civilization or the promise of pizza to quicken our steps. It was …
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Spam
WordPress dutifully screens the comments that come to my blog, and deposits spam into the trash folder. Sometimes I read over them for a good giggle before I hit the "Delete Permanently" button. How can I not laugh when I get instructions about how to build big muscles, or how to improve my English while …
For Christian Women Whose Husbands Work Too Much
Few things hurt my heart as much as hearing these statements from sad housewives: "I feel like a widow." "I'm practically raising my children myself, and I am so lonely." "My husband works long hours. When he is home, he is busy with his hobbies and things and doesn't have time for the family." The …
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My upside-down Sunday
My ideal Sunday goes something like this: Go to church. Eat a simple lunch with the family. Take a nap. Write (with no distractions) for an hour or two. Eat popcorn, talk with Will, and play with the kids. Clean up the house and go to bed at a decent hour. I like a day …
Open Hands (by Victoria Miller)
I fight desperately--straining, tugging refusing to release this gift that I demand is mine. I hold on for dear life to what I crave but it slips and I feel the whiplash from my fall. I lie, face planted into the ground my fists still clenched in rage. “Give me! Give me what I need!” …