It was far in the sameness of the woods. I've always wanted to write that line from one of Robert Frost's more mysterious poems "The Demiurge's Laugh." Now seemed like a good time as I reflect on the question of why did God answer my prayer to sell our house -- and how He did it. I suppose I could call it "The Story of a Circle Maker." Last September we decided to move to Atlanta, Georgia, because we thought it would best positions us to answer God's call on my life. … [Read more...]
Have you ever failed to walk by faith? Have you ever fallen and felt as if you would never get back up? If not, please click off this page. There's nothing for you to see here. And you'll make the rest of us feel bad. Not long ago, I confessed that a healthy sense of self-loathing can be a good thing when we fail to overcome the Resistance in our walk of faith. [ See my post To All Those Who Just Want to Quit ] Our anger at ourselves in those times of frustrated failure … [Read more...]
Peer pressure can be a wonderful thing. Especially when it can increase your faith. That's not to say it always works the way we want it to. Often throughout my dozen years as a school administrator, I dealt with the negative side of peer pressure --w hen kids were led astray by hanging out with others who influenced them in the wrong direction. I got used to citing verse like the following: He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. … [Read more...]
I returned from my mission to Guam the other day full of energy, ideas, and the faith to make them happen. Within a day, I had lost it all and just wanted to quit. Fear grabbed me by the hair, gripped me firmly in a headlock, and proceeded to pummel my confidence with repeated blows. Within hours, I was a bloody and faithless mess. Finally, when fear had finished for the day, it dumped me and left my future as good as dead and buried. It was all I could do to clutch the side of the … [Read more...]
Just back from my trip in Guam, I'm privileged to share this guest post by Jeremy Statton. He is an orthopedic surgeon and a writer. He blogs about Living Better Stories. You can follow him on Twitter or download a free copy of his eBook Grace Is. On my first trip to San Francisco I tested my faith to see if my prayers could move mountains. But instead of land, I was trying to move fog. I had always dreamed of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge is one of the greatest … [Read more...]
Celebrate Resurrection Day with a listen to my recent sermon based on John 20, exploring the first few interactions people had with Jesus following his triumphant rising from the dead. Everyone Jesus encounters is confused, fearful, and or doubting. Maybe you can relate. Not surprisingly, everything changes when Jesus speaks. Listen. Learn. Believe. He is risen! … [Read more...]
Most of us cringe somewhere deep within when we hear the word -- test. School taught us that tests are events to be feared. Red pens. Snickers from our classmates. Numbers not up to expectations. For far too many of us, tests are pre-cursers to failure. And that's a shame, because the only way for our faith to grow is for it to pass the test. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let … [Read more...]
A recent airplane flight reminded me that there are times in life when all you can do is trust. They happen much more than we might think, these life moments that require faith from us. My reminder came with a brief airplane ride, one of those where it takes you longer to drive to the airport than it does to fly to your destination. Because the flight was short, the plane was small. Kind of like a can turned sideways with jet engines attached. And a few vinyl seats tossed in to fool you into … [Read more...]
I've never heard anyone say they accidentally became a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ. I've heard many say they wish they could be. I've heard the sound of disillusionment in their voices, as if they've resigned themselves to not being among the chosen ones wise enough to decipher the secret code to more intentional living by faith. But living by faith simply means that you act, speak, and think based on what you believe to be true -- not on what you feel to be true. The Bible … [Read more...]
It can be tough to figure out the secret to living by faith when we're busy being angry at Him. Trust me. I've had a little experience on that point. Yesterday's post [You Don't Need All the Answers to Stop Being Angry at God] began to explore this dilemma with a look at the Israelites predicament in Exodus 14. Like them, we struggle to discover the secret to living by faith when we're freaking out about God dumping us in the wilderness. Or so we think. During times of testing, we can … [Read more...]
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