The Valley of Vision is a devotional which contains this prayer. As you read it, keep in mind that “Immanuel” means God-with-us and is one of the names of Jesus: “Assure us that we shall at last enter Immanuel’s land, where none is ever sick and the son will always shine.”* That will be great… … Continue reading Practical ideas for finding rest
sabbath
The weekly reminder that the best is yet to come
Rest. We know it’s good. We know we need it. We probably want more of it. Dragging feet, dark bags under our eyes, and deflated hearts testify this to be the case. But it also serves a larger function. Momentary rest is meant to foreshadow eternal rest. By “eternal rest” I mean the Rest-In-Peace variety … Continue reading The weekly reminder that the best is yet to come
Heaven’s appetizer
One day a week for rest and worship is heaven’s appetizer. Here’s what I mean. Think of an appetizer. It’s something that tastes good and is satisfying, but makes you anticipate or look forward to the full meal that is yet to come. It whets your appetite. That’s what the day of rest and worship … Continue reading Heaven’s appetizer
The cost of rushing
What was the fastest thing in the world when Jesus walked the earth? It couldn’t have been a jet or car because they weren’t invented yet. So it was probably an animal or a ship. Of all the things life would surely have been, it would definitely have been… slower. Difficult? Yes. Meaningful? Yes. But … Continue reading The cost of rushing
Something we GET to do (because we’re not slaves)
Hi everyone! After a month of vacation, the “Up!” devotional is back! One of the good things about getting away is regaining some perspective. One of the things I regained some perspective about was REST. We all need it. We all want it. But not all of us get it as much as we should. … Continue reading Something we GET to do (because we’re not slaves)
Physical rest without mental rest? (1 1-day invitation)
[Note: After today, the Up! devotional is going on pause for August while I’m on vacation. Full announcement below.] Many people are experiencing what I call “soul fatigue.” An article from the University of California describes the situation well: “We’re tired of being cooped up, tired of being careful, tired of being scared… ‘This is … Continue reading Physical rest without mental rest? (1 1-day invitation)
Wasting time well spent
Maybe we should all get a bit better at wasting time sometimes. Now hear me out. I’m not saying we should be lazy. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t work hard. We should. Just not every second of every day of every year. We generally look down our noses at wasting time. After all, we’ve … Continue reading Wasting time well spent
The modern fountain of youth?
Many books and movies have explored the idea of a fountain of youth—a magical flow of water that stops the aging process, and which makes you younger and feeling great. As far as we know, it doesn’t exist. But one of the things I’ve come to discover is that a well-rested soul may be the … Continue reading The modern fountain of youth?
The benefit of quality down time
In Matthew 8:23-25 we read: “Then [Jesus] got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Yup. A storm threatened … Continue reading The benefit of quality down time
Nomophobia and a technosabbath
According to Psychology Today there’s something called “nomophobia.” It’s “the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact.” I read about one study that said more people are even taking their smart phones with them into the shower. Maybe that’s you. Maybe it’s not. Either way, more and more of us are … Continue reading Nomophobia and a technosabbath
