A lot of us want to hear from God. We want a word of direction or some understanding or the living waters of encouragement. But how many of us are willing to create some quiet space in our lives to listen? When Jesus is teaching in Matthew 11:15 he says, “He who has ears to … Continue reading When we refuse to silence ourselves
inspiration
When your faith becomes a punching bag
“You know that Jesus wasn’t a real person, right? You know he was just based on ancient myths, right?” That’s what a friend said to me in university. And do you want to know how I replied? It was a REALLY profound response that made them stop in their tracks, change their mind, and immediately … Continue reading When your faith becomes a punching bag
Hurting trumps busyness
Writer, speaker and scientist Alister McGrath says that “To love God entails loving what God loves.” So who does God love? God loves the emotionally needy. God loves the braggart. God loves the one we overlook. God loves the forgotten. God loves those who are struggling. 1 John 3:18 says, “let us not love with words or … Continue reading Hurting trumps busyness
Turn holidays into holy days with this prayer
The word “holiday” comes from the phrase “holy day.” The idea with holy days is that they're set apart from the normal hustle and bustle of everyday life to help us celebrate, focus on, and learn from something godly and exceptional. Christmas is a holy day. But when we treat it as a “holiday” it doesn’t … Continue reading Turn holidays into holy days with this prayer
The beggar and the King
Elisabeth Elliot tells us a story about a beggar and a King. A beggar was sitting at the side of the street with his hat outstretched asking for money. Then he noticed that the King himself was coming, complete with his whole entourage. This was his lucky day! How could the King refuse to give … Continue reading The beggar and the King
Muck on your boots or wind at your back?
When I was in high school I remember walking into a room where painters were working away. I was overwhelmed by the paint fumes. I asked one of them how they could stand all the fumes. He replied, “What fumes?” They had become so used to them that they didn’t even notice anymore! In a similar way, … Continue reading Muck on your boots or wind at your back?
The view from the top
Every day we’re faced with choices about what route we’re going to take. These come in the form of decisions. A lot of them are simple. You don’t even have to think about them. But there are also difficult choices. These are choices like whether to do the right thing or the easy thing; whether … Continue reading The view from the top
But you shouldn’t get more cranky
In a prophecy about the Messiah’s birth, Isaiah said that Jesus would not only be called “Prince of Peace,” but “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6). But rarely do we think of Jesus as a counselor. Maybe that’s because we (a) don’t pay him to listen to us, and (b) can’t picture him with a leather couch. … Continue reading But you shouldn’t get more cranky
Strike me blind in one eye!
Today I share a story I’ve adapted from William White. It’s about two business men. Their stores were across the road from one another and they had an incredible rivalry. When one made a big sale, he’d walk over to the other man’s store to boast about it. And the other did the same. This went … Continue reading Strike me blind in one eye!
Advice from a veteran
Today is Remembrance Day. In some countries it’s called Veterans Day or Memorial Day or Armistice Day. It’s a day to honour those who fought and died in the horrors of war. It’s a day to be thankful for those who served their country. And it’s a day to pray. Over the years I’ve had … Continue reading Advice from a veteran
