Gaining a heart of wisdom
Growing up in the era of analog timepieces, I was fascinated by my grandfather's pocket watches. The rhythmic tick and the steady movement of the second hand that somehow seemed connected to the slow movement of the minute hand puzzled me, so when his watch wore out, and he needed a new one, he gave… Continue reading Beware of Three Dangerous Myths about Wisdom
When distance separates us from a friend's disaster, when there doesn't seem to be a workable solution to an ongoing problem, we promise to pray. That's what friends and families and church communities do for each other. But sometimes we just don't know what to ask God for. Do we pray for relief or repentance?Do… Continue reading How to Pray for Someone When You Don’t Know What to Pray
Prayer is hard. Let's just be honest about it. For me, prayer continues to be the most difficult of all the spiritual disciplines. Maybe it's hard for you, too, and you're thinking, “I don’t like to talk about this, but prayer is awkward, and I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to… Continue reading Prayer Doesn’t Need to Be Awkward
We've all experienced the dissonance of prayers that seem to go unanswered and struggled to understand why God behaves in ways or allows outcomes that seem incomprehensible to us. Bible scholars throughout history have advocated for a position of "holy indifference" to preside over our feelings when we're disappointed with the will of God. Indifference… Continue reading Why the Painful Struggle to Accept the Will of God?
Early in the year, I invested several weeks in an attempt to memorize The Nicene Creed. It's not as if I didn't already know what its words reveal about the nature of God. I just wanted those particular words in my tool belt to remind me of all I can and should be remembering and… Continue reading Is the Book of Common Prayer Still Useful Today?
Prayer is hard work, and it is important work—perhaps the most important and impactful ministry to which God has called each of us. In prayer, we carry those we love into the presence of God. We stop our mad rush and acknowledge an occasion, a moment, a feeling, or a state of being. Our prayers… Continue reading The Gift Of Fresh Language For a Daily Practice of Prayer
Mothers have a sixth sense, a superpower for detecting discouragement in our children. Sometimes we pick up on a prolonged silence, a tone of voice, or even a topic they don't talk about. This all causes me to wonder what tipped off the Apostle Paul when he wrote to encourage his spiritual children in Ephesus.… Continue reading How to Pray Effectively for Your Discouraged Child
A studio upright sat by the door, but the small piano was truly the centerpiece of Helen's apartment. A widow transitioning from married to single, from missionary to retiree, she poured sadness out the tips of her fingers, and the wealth of words absorbed over seven decades found their way into melancholy melodies. Helen introduced… Continue reading Whatever Made You Think the Christian Life Would Be Easy?
I have a battered notebook that has been with me for so long that four of its pages date back to the birth of each of my sons. In this notebook, I write down the requests—big and small—that I bring to God. Help my kids to be wise and godly parents.Who gets my vote this… Continue reading Faith Sees as Good Whatever God Has Given
The nursery worker who met us at the door was beaming as she reported her Sunday morning observations. Apparently, our son had lined up all the chairs, assigned seats and roles to each child, and then presided over a “church service” right there in the nursery. “You’ve got a little leader there!” she pronounced. Ever blessed… Continue reading Raising a Leader: 3 Leadership Qualities Your Kids Need
Living Our Days 