God created us this way. Just like oxygen and food, we need sleep to work right. It won’t look the same for everyone, and some are in situations where their care for others inhibits a solid snooze, but know for sure that we need sleep. It was God’s idea. –Jonathan Parnell in Three Reasons to Get Some Sleep I know with littles ones a good night’s rest is hard to find, but it is worth working for. I think we can... Read more
Jesus came to reveal God to us. He is the defining word on God — on what the heart of God is truly like, on what God is up to in the world, and on what God is up to in your life. An intimate encounter with Jesus is the most transforming experience of human existence. To know him as he is, is to come home. To have his life, joy, love and presence cannot be compared. A true knowledge... Read more
Today, I expected to see the lump that my doctor found a couple of weeks ago. A large, firm growth over an ovary. It wasn’t particularly surprising. They are starting to see a connection between hyperemesis gravidarum and liver, kidney and ovarian cysts. Plus, genetically I am high risk for both cysts and cancer. Over the last three months, my body had gone haywire. I was unusually emotional, my skin was revisiting my teen years and my hair has been... Read more
“I think you should eat healthy, exercise, and generally avoid foods that do bad things to you or the world God made. Got that? But here’s the huge — like the size of the Grand Canyon — caveat: our knowledge and understanding of that whole subject matter is about the size of a chickpea. And it’s constantly changing, shifting, updating, reversing. And on the other hand, we know a LOT about what our hearts are supposed to be like while shopping,... Read more
I was just thinking about this over the weekend. In order to have a truely restful sabbath, my house goes to hell in a handbag! Seriously, when I put aside my routine chores, stuff, dishes, clothes — they all pile up. By Sunday evening this mama is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Lord, you are telling me to rest but my heart isn’t resting. I found timely encouragement over at Femina today, in Rachel’s post, Sabbath Hearts: “I... Read more
I think perhaps the reason it is so easy for me to go sideways when considering the possibility of “premature” death is because, “That kind of knowledge is too much for me; it’s so high above me that I can’t fathom it.” (Psalm 139:6). God set man to rule over the earth and cultivate it (Genesis 2:15), and we are commanded to be good stewards of what we are given (Matthew 25:14-30). Obedience to this would include not abusing or neglecting our... Read more
“There is a sharp distinction between the followers of Jesus and “the world.” Only when that is realized can the next word be heard, which is another spectacular promise. Those who hold fast to Jesus and refuse to settle for a second-best, compromised discipleship, will find that his peace comes to them as a gift, a peace of the kind that “the world” can never give.” -NT Wright on John 14 Let us never settle for second class discipleship —... Read more
Have you ever heard of the “gift of criticism”? You have friends who swear up and down that they are specially gifted with eyes to see areas in a person, organization, strategy or idea that could improve. They are always pointing out problems, mistakes, errors and sins. Maybe you are that person. You have discovered the best way to approach a topic or a situation and if someone doesn’t do it that very same way, you’re actually a little ticked.... Read more
So I finally had my appointment and what we suspected is true. Something is rapidly growing (probably a cyst) and it is causing all kinds of annoying problems. The initial visit is to be followed up by an ultrasound and then surgical removal. I’ve undergone surgery before so I know the routine and I know it is probably nothing — or it could be cancer. I invited Him, knowing full well that His ways are not my own, and this development is... Read more
God would not have to administer the correction if we were quicker to administer it to ourselves. God doesn’t spank His children for the sake of spanking them, but rather so that they will learn something about themselves. But if they are quick to learn it themselves, if in this area we run ahead of the Lord, we are doing well. God does not have to bring external chastisement if we bring it internally first.” -Douglas Wilson in Quick to... Read more
Mere Breath
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