As I write this, I am suffering. I have had a cold for a good week. It has left me tired and unmotivated. Also, it has me much less productive than I would like to be. Though my suffering is relatively minor, it has me eager to experience a time when I am again...
I have always viewed life in terms of life seasons. Eric Thurman has written a guide to help retirees gain the most of their “third season.” However, Thrive in Retirement: Simple Secrets for Being Happy for the Rest of Your Life offers timeless wisdom is...
This resolution speaks directly to being in a spiritual rut. Further, it points to our recurring need for revival of personal dedication and zeal. While reflecting on Edwards 42nd resolution, my own testimony came to mind. Something else that stands out about this...
At its core, the Year of Listening Up is about developing character. It’s an annual project that’s an outgrowth of a book I wrote for my daughters, largely centered on the same ambition. Since Edwards made developing character a primary goal of his life, it made great...
I’ve gained a new understanding of personal discipleship with Christ over the last year or so. Maybe not so much new as it is better, deeper, or more refined. On a basic level, personal discipleship is simply learning to be more like Christ. A simple concept, yes, but...
When it comes to prayerful confidence, most think in the context of God’s willingness to answer. However, we must keep mindful of our own actions and intentions. To that end, I can’t count the times I’ve failed to make a prayer I told someone I would. Or the times...
We often speak of a heavenly reward. It’s usually said in relation to the phrase “you can’t take it with you.” The “it” in this case is all the stuff we acquire in life. Our homes, cars, clothes, gadgets, toys… even our money. This stuff is stuff we...
What does authentic love look like? It’s a question I’m often pondering. Never really landed on an answer, until now. You know it when I see it. Every now and then, God sends a perfect illustration. It’s sometimes like the missing puzzle piece that’s key...
Being different usually comes with a negative connotation. However, there are times where we must not just endure being different, we must embrace being different. In Keep Christianity Weird: Embracing the Discipline of Being Different, Michael Frost argues it’s the...
Spiritual warfare. It’s a term that conjures all sorts of visual representations. And it probably varies greatly by culture. I can’t claim to be all that knowledgeable about it, and I have kept my life mostly ignorant of the concept. I like to live in my little bubble...
In Kingdom Citizen: Your Role in Rebuilding a Broken Nation, Tony Evans presents a compelling case for renewed emphasis on the relationship of God in culture. Moreover, he shows how, in our misguided pursuit of buildings and turnkey programs, we have forgotten a call...
It’s unnatural to really feel the personal pain of someone else. You can sympathize, but really feeling the suffrage of another isn’t something we intuitively do. And why does it matter anyway? Well, for starters, it’s a way we can keep our own personal pain in...