Soul Rest: Finding Restoration with God

In the relentless hustle of modern life, where the din of demands never ceases, the concept of rest can seem almost revolutionary. Yet, it’s not merely a modern necessity but a divine invitation. Scripture is full of references to rest, not just as physical cessation from labor, but as a profound, spiritual renewal that God eagerly offers to us. Starting with my confession, I must admit that…

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Live for Today IN Today (and Trust God for the Rest)

Introduction Life is a river, flowing inexorably forward. Moments rush past and days blend into one another, and another year passes. There’s a profound wisdom in the way God structured our existence—dividing our lives into days, hours, and seconds. He is unbound by time, but He knows well that we, His creations, need such divisions not just for organization, but for sanity. We simply couldn’t…

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Immanuel: Exploring the Depths of "God With Us"

Introduction Throughout the sweeping narrative of biblical history, the theme of God’s presence paints a picture of intimacy, then distance, followed by ultimate restoration. From the idyllic walks in Eden to the prophetic fulfillment in a humble manger, the presence of God has shaped the contours of humanity’s story, revealing a divine desire to dwell among His people. The Intimacy of Eden In…

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The Search for Significance: Yes, We Matter

Introduction In writing this blog each week, sometimes I feel like God is poking and prodding me to write about something I’d rather keep to myself. This is one of those weeks. But I figure if I resist God’s prodding, He might have a whale swallow me up like Jonah, then have it barf me up on the shores of Nineveh, and I’ll end up writing about this eventually anyway. Significance I’ve written…

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Access to the Peace of Christ

For Easter, Jesus made a really bad deal. But it was His idea. He exchanged His perfect life for all the rotten things I’ve ever done and ever will do, His spotless robe for my filthy rags. And He offers the same deal to everyone. This makes no sense, yet He offers it anyway. Why? Because He loves us so much and wants us to be with Him for eternity. We usually talk about presents at Christmas,…

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Poop Happens

My apologies in advance for such a crude title–how’s that for the name of a Christian blog? I’m not trying to be sensationalistic, but I try to be real, so I thought I’d say it like it is. Basking in the Glow On my morning walk last Monday, I was basking in the glow of my collaboration with God—rather, God’s working through me—for last week’s blog on Sunday night. I was reliving how much I had…

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Enjoying God

On the heels of last week’s thoughts around conversational intimacy with God, this past week I felt God impressing upon my heart how much I enjoy my relationship with Him, and that I should tell you about that. Enjoy God? you may wonder. How is that possible? What does that even look like? These are natural questions, especially in light of the mental image of God we probably all grew up with:…

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Conversational Intimacy with God

In the journey of faith, cultivating a relationship with God is most important. It reigns supreme over religious-looking actions or religious-sounding words. God beckons us, calling us deeper into His depths, into the realms of conversational intimacy with Him, where dialogue with the Divine is not just about voicing our needs or desires but about fostering two-way communication. This week, I am…

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Seeing Clearly, Above the Clouds

Life has a way of unfolding in seasons, some filled with sunshine and others shrouded in the dreariness of cloud-covered days. It’s during these gray moments that our spirits can feel weighed down, as if the very light that guides us has dimmed. Yet, an experience this week reminded me of a profound truth, one that mirrors the steadfast presence of Jesus in our lives, even when obscured by life’s…

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Don't Miss It!

In the unfolding story of our lives, there are moments that shimmer briefly before fading into the backdrop of our daily routines. These are the moments that, unless we pause to observe and appreciate them, slip quietly by, unnoticed. For example, February 29th stands out as a quadrennial curiosity. Once out of every four years, we get an extra day! But do we make the most of that leap day? This…

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God Gives Us Faith to Trust that He Will Provide

As the pages of our lives turn, each chapter filled with its own set of triumphs and trials, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the moment. Just a few weeks ago, I shared reflections on how God is in the business of making all things new, drawing from personal experiences and the timeless truths of scripture. Today, I stand in awe of the ways in which this renewal has manifested in my…

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Emotional Support God

My son, now grown and living with his wife, recently faced a poignant loss—the passing of his pet ferret, Ollie, who had been his emotional support animal for many years. Despite Ollie’s surprisingly long life for a ferret, his absence left a profound void. Witnessing my son grapple with his grief from afar caused me to reflect on the complex journey of seeking solace and the places and beings we…

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Staying Steadfast on the Solid Rock

Renewing a Steadfast Spirit Last week, I wrote about God making us (and all things) new. An ongoing, continuous process. We’re like old-fashioned wooden pencils — God sharpens us and we write nice and cleanly, crisply, again. But over time, we get dull. We get distracted, we lose our focus. We forget about the miracles of parting the Red Sea and manna, and instead focus on our brief and…

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Behold! God Makes All Things New! Even (or Especially) You and Me!

Introduction We all have moments in our lives when we burst into flames. Or drown. Or bury ourselves. Pick your metaphor for getting beaten down by this life, this painfully broken world. I hate to admit that I’ve been dealing with that myself lately. My consulting contract (and therefore my job) ended in early December, and I haven’t found my next job yet. Not long after that, I fractured my…

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Our Long and Winding Roads

We may think of our journeys from cradle to grave as long and winding roads, and that’s entirely appropriate. We can also break our lives into smaller segments, which can seem lengthy and circuitous, especially while we are going through them. Particularly when we are waiting to see God move in our lives somehow, the wait can seem endless. Sometimes the extra twists and turns can be of our own…

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Running toward Heaven or Fleeing from Hell?

There are, of course, many different reasons people choose to follow Jesus, but I would assert that most of them can be reduced at their core to one of two driving forces: running toward heaven or fleeing from hell. For running toward heaven, I think of people who are motivated by the idea of spending eternity in paradise, face-to-face and arm-in-arm with the Triune God. They are eager to enjoy…

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Even Abraham Didn't Always Get It Right

Since the Daily Audio Bible’s annual journey through the Bible returned to the starting gate at the beginning of the year, we’re once again getting reacquainted with Abraham, who is basically each of our father in the faith. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote about him: So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are…

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