Loneliness might not sound like a spiritual struggle; it might not seem to have much to do with faith. But it is, and it does. Loneliness is an inescapable part of what it means to be human in a deeply fractured world. All of us have felt lonely. That’s not something we want to admit,…
Devotional
Finding Faith in Unexpected Places
In a world of darkness, where is faith to be found? To answer this question, we must first define what faith is. We cannot define it as faith alone, at least not if it is considered to be solely something that lives inside your head. It’s lived and loved and questioned and abandoned and returned…
Beginning of a Circle: the Power of Vulnerability
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up…
Between Before and After: Trusting God Until
In this world, one of the hardest places to inhabit is the space between before and after. It is not a location you can find on a map, nor is it an object tangible to the touch. But that makes it no less real. When you’re walking through such a season, uncertainty lingers in the…
By Faith I Believe (a poem)
Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. — Psalm 77:19 (NIV) Lord, help me to trust that You are working, Even when I cannot seeThe way Your hand weaves through the darkness,Lighting up a path for me. I want to believe what You are doing,Walk…
On Mark Lowry, Mimicry, and Making Faith Your Own
Mark Lowry is a great comedian. Seriously. If you need proof of that, or if you just want something to make you laugh, or if you would like to see for yourself what gave me the idea for this post, then I recommend you go watch this video of the Gaither Vocal Band performing “Jesus…
When You Can’t Sing “It Is Well”
One of the deepest truths every believer can cling to is this: it is well with my soul. Nothing and no one can change that. We are held in the grip of a loving Father who never lets go. Because of that, we have no reason to fear. Nothing in this world should be able…
The Journey
The journey begins where you are. Here and now. Even the smallest step marks a beginning. — Just when you get comfortable, just when you start settling in, just when you think this is how things will be, something shifts, and you’re launched on a journey. Jolted from the familiar, you’re forced to face the…
In Search of a Deeper Reality
Picture with me, if you will, a battle scene involving two of the most formidable entities known to mankind. This pair has warred throughout the centuries and will continue to do so through the end of time, taking their stand on opposite sides of every human heart. What are their names, you ask? They answer…
The Voice of a Quiet Life
Sometimes a quiet life speaks loudest. It’s not only the singer on stage lit up under an array of lights who speaks God’s truth. It’s also the small-town preacher who’s never known what it’s like to have his words heard by a crowd. It’s not only the missionary feeding orphans in a foreign country who…
Grace for What Is Left Undone
When you lie in bed at night and go back over the day, what do you think of? Maybe you replay conversations you had, review tasks you completed, or remember blessings that made you smile. Then at some point, you realize how much you didn’t do. No matter how productive you were and how much…
Different Kinds of Fine (a poem)
Someone asks how I’m doing. “I’m fine,” I say. But I wonder, what do I Really mean by that today? Because there are so many Different kinds of fine. Maybe it’s a quick answer, Truly a lie. I don’t want to let them in, And so I don’t even try. Maybe I’m being proper, Only polite. Not bad, but not best either,Hiding secrets from…