I remember a fun ‘n’ games night around the supper table in our house. It was wild. First of all, one of the kids snickered during the prayer (which isn’t that unusual) and that tipped the first domino. Then a humorous incident from school was shared and the event (as well as how it was […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Christian Living
Your Marching Orders from God
You may not have thought about it before, but Christians have a lot more in common with soldiers than we might think. In what way? For starters, soldiers don’t serve to protect themselves but to guard the interests of their homeland. There is simply no room for ego or grandstanding among soldiers during the heat […]
Read MoreWhen God Says “No”. . .Pray
When nobody is around and when we’re able to be absolutely honest with ourselves before God, we entertain certain dreams and hopes. We want very much by the end of our days to have _________________________ (fill in the blank). However, it may well be that we will die with that desire unfulfilled. Should that occur, […]
Read MoreGo for It
How many people stop because so few say “Go!”? In his fine little book Fully Human, Fully Alive, author John Powell relates an experience which happened to a friend while he was vacationing in the Bahamas. The friend was sightseeing when he noticed a crowd gathered toward the end of a pier. He walked down […]
Read MoreIt Takes Courage
Deep within, we imagine ourselves as a mixture of Patrick Henry, Davy Crockett, John Wayne, and the prophet Daniel! But the truth of the matter is that most of us would do anything to keep from being different. We’d much rather blend into the woodwork. One of our greatest fears is being ostracised, rejected by […]
Read MoreSeeing Above the Clouds
Storm clouds gather. Problem is, they’re the wrong kind. We need rain desperately, but those clouds hold no rain. We need refreshment and renewal, a kind of inner relief. Like you feel when a sudden cloud cover blocks the burning rays of the sun and blows a cool breeze across the back of your neck. […]
Read MoreTenderness
When I was just a kid, I got a bellyache that wouldn’t go away. It hurt so bad I couldn’t stand up straight or sit down without increasing the pain. Finally, my folks hauled me over to a big house in Houston, Texas where a surgeon lived. He had turned the back section of his […]
Read MoreSeven Ways to Cultivate Joy
Want more joy in your day? Cultivate it! Joy springs from viewing the day’s events from eternity’s perspective. With this intentional focus, you’re sure to see today differently—with more joy and conviction that God is at work in your life. 1. Rehearse with God the reasons you trust Him. Tell Him which of His attributes […]
Read MoreThe Joy of Painful Growth
In our backyard in California, Cynthia and I had a couple of fruit trees that supplied our table with luscious, homegrown grapefruits and oranges. Some years, the trees bore more fruit than others. And every year, the growth of those trees reminded me about what it means to become more like Christ. The secret to […]
Read MoreNeeded Today: A Ministry of Encouragement
Henry Drummond’s remark haunts me at times: . . . how many prodigals are kept out of the Kingdom of God by the unlovely character of those who profess to be inside?1 Will you allow me, in this private chat with you, to pick out one “unlovely characteristic” frequently found in Christian circles . . […]
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