Gaining a heart of wisdom
In this election year, I've heard it said that foreign policy doesn't fit on a bumper sticker. True enough, and I would go on to say that theology doesn't either, but that doesn't stop us from trying to put it there. One bumper sticker that's been around for decades reads: "Prayer Changes Things." You've… Continue reading Where Faith and History Intersect
We refer to them as "spiritual disciplines," and then we stiffen our upper lip -- all the while fumbling tentatively for our boot straps. Then, we proceed to dismiss the more rigorous of the lot (fasting, meditation) as pertinent only to high-power spiritual giants, and it turns out that we've got the wrong idea after all,… Continue reading Habits of Grace
Traveling to over forty different countries, meeting church leaders who are, at times, risking their lives in the course of doing ministry, and hearing their unique challenges and joys can be an exhausting prospect. Fortunately, Brian Stiller has logged all the travel time, and he has shared his unique experiences and insights in An Insider's Guide to Praying… Continue reading Intercede with Greater Focus and Understanding
Proverbs has always been a challenging read for me. My brain wants to make outlines, and it searches in vain for a tidy way to summarize the truth of a chapter. Proverbs 1 and 2 cooperate nicely: wisdom. However, the following chapters veer off into multiple topics, and my takeaway from reading this valuable wisdom literature is that… Continue reading The Beginning of Wisdom
Five and a half years ago our family piled into a mini-van and drove cross country -- Maine to Seattle, south to Arizona, and then in a zig-zagging joy ride back to Maine. Four boys, two parents, one tent, six sleeping bags, and five weeks of freedom on the road. It becomes a better memory… Continue reading Grant Us Grace to Ask
Author, Priscilla Shirer, had collected her grandmother, buckled her into the passenger seat, and embarked on a junk food run for French fries and vanilla milkshakes. Knowing that her grandmother was a faithful prayer warrior with a notebook full of specific requests and written prayers that she added to daily, Priscilla queried, "Why do you… Continue reading So You Won’t Forget
I’m a note-taker and a scribbler, so the pages of my favorite Bible are highlighted in yellow, underlined in pencil, and inscribed with various colors of pen, but my favorite and most meaningful markings are four sets of initials lightly penciled beside select verses. These are my four sons’ initials, and they draw my eyes… Continue reading When You Don’t Know What to Pray
I have the best of intentions. I've backed them up with a nifty notebook: divided into sections for the days of the week; pages of personalized prayer requests; an alphabetized list of missionaries (Can I make it through the list from memory at 3 a.m. on a wakeful night?); even a few answers to prayer,… Continue reading All Nations
Reading Hebrews 11 reminds me that today's "yes" to God is a ripple in the pond of generations. The #livefree Thursday prompt today is "whisper yes." I'm blessed by the record of others' obedience to God, and challenged to add my "yes" to the choir of faithful followers. // In the age of Twitter and… Continue reading Another Generation of Anything
As an artist, Kelly O'Dell Stanley brings a fresh perspective to her every day living. As a Christian, part of her every day living includes prayer. Praying Upside Down is her road map toward a life in which prayer is not merely an afterthought or a rabbit's foot. Following the paths of her high school insecurities, her… Continue reading A New Perspective
Living Our Days 