Feelings of ingratitude are bound to trap us at some point during this holiday season. An unpleasant memory, another snow storm, the stress of holiday shopping, the pressure of preparing the perfect holiday meal, tensions between family members, bickering between siblings, an undercooked or overcooked turkey, pies eaten by a mischievous puppy, or any other … Continue reading How Am I Supposed to Pray When I Don’t Feel Grateful?
The Refuge of Repentance
You are my hiding placeYou always fill my heartWith songs of deliveranceWhenever I am afraid I will trust in YouI will trust in YouLet the weak sayI am strongIn the strength of the Lord1 These lyrics, made famous by the group Selah, are based on Psalm 32:7: You are my hiding place; You preserve me … Continue reading The Refuge of Repentance
To the One Thinking of Quitting Church
Dear Friend, I wish that we could have this conversation over a cup of coffee at Starbucks. I firmly believe that all the best counseling sessions involve caffeine. But, alas, the written word will have to do. So, you’re thinking about quitting church. On one hand, I understand that. I assume that you have been … Continue reading To the One Thinking of Quitting Church
Watching Out for Unmarked Paths
“Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”1 As Screwtape, the veteran tempter, counsels his young apprentice and nephew Wormwood, Christians are most easily led astray when they don’t notice it happening—when they walk blissfully along a smooth path with no warning … Continue reading Watching Out for Unmarked Paths
How Does Your Mind Instruct You at Night?
You turn off the light, close your eyes, and wait for sleep to take you. Instead, your mind takes off, thinking about the events of the day behind you, your to-do list for the day in front of you, and all your fears for the future. Your body aches with exhaustion, yet you don’t sleep … Continue reading How Does Your Mind Instruct You at Night?
Pleasant Lines
The wealthy old man had finally died, and his sons gathered in the lawyer’s office to hear the reading of his will: one a farmer, one a fisherman, and one a builder. Their father had owned thousands of acres of land, and had decided to divide it equally among his sons, though he had not … Continue reading Pleasant Lines
Where Does My Help Come From?
What do you like to do on long journeys? Listen to music? Play games? Watch movies? Listen to an audiobook? I enjoy all of those things. I wonder if the children of Israel played I Spy as they traversed to Jerusalem twice a year: “I spy with my little eye something…brown.” “Sand?” I doubt they … Continue reading Where Does My Help Come From?
Does Your Worship Affect Your Heart?
Come Thou fount of every blessingTune my heart to sing Thy grace;Streams of mercy never ceasingCall for songs of loudest praise. 1 If I were to ask you to make a Top-10 list of your favorite hymns, “Come, Thou Fount” would probably make the cut. The masterful poetry paired with a singable, beautiful melody comes … Continue reading Does Your Worship Affect Your Heart?
Was It Actually for Me?
I've been studying recently through the prophetic book of Zechariah, written in the years following the Babylonian Captivity. In chapter 7, the people want to know if they're still required to fast to bring about the end of the exile. God responds with a haunting question: "Was it actually for Me?" This query has gripped … Continue reading Was It Actually for Me?
From Dust to Diamonds
My first interaction with mica came when I was about twelve years old. My parents had recently purchased some land on which they planned to build a cabin. Just a few miles from that mountain property lies an abandoned mica mine, so we’d often take the ATVs and check it out. The cabins that once … Continue reading From Dust to Diamonds
Bible Study Nerd 