You become like what you worship. N. T. Wright When I was a child, we sang a classic hymn in church with these words:            Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creation           O my soul praise him, for he is thy health and salvation           All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near, join me in glad adoration. I imagine many of us have enthusiastically sung these words – or others like them –proclaiming our worship of God. This hymn rightly claims that we should praise and honor the God of creation. He should be the object of our reverence. Why? Because we become like what – or who – we worship. The challenge, of course, is not to simply sing these words, but to live them out. It’s what we do that actually reveals what we value and love. It’s the clearest sign of what we actually worship. For example, do we seek our value through our career, or approval and acc...

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord,  "plans to prosper you and not to harm you,  plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Our kitchen definitely needs help. Everything is looking old. The cabinet doors won’t close properly, the tile on the counter is cracked, the dishwasher is leaking, the flooring is permanently dirty, and the shelves are always sticky. Sigh. It's not very functional, it's embarrassing to look at, and I hate to have guests see it. Even I hate to see it!  Our kitchen – the heart of our home – needs a redo.  But...how big of a redo? I mean, it is bad, but is it worth thousands of dollars to remodel? Maybe we should just scrape out the bad grout, put bleach on the shelves to scrub them clean, and paint over the old cabinets. Do we really need to spend the money to remodel it? This is the issue my husband and I wrestled with many years ago. And in the case of a kitchen, arguments certainly c...

…we have all these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds.  So, we must let go of every wound that has pierced us  and the sin we so easily fall into.  Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination,  for the path has been already marked out before us.  Hebrews 12:1 The Passion Translation I appreciate how the author of Hebrews uses imagery of the ancient Olympic races as a metaphor for the spiritual life. He reminds his audience that athletes in the Games become greatly animated, because influential and powerful citizens of the country are intensely watching the competition. This induces the contestants to make extraordinary efforts to display their determination, their prowess, and their ability to win against all odds. They focus on the goal so they won’t stumble or get waylaid due to distraction. Describing life’s race as a marathon offers a great picture of the endurance we need for the long haul. It re...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,  that whoever believes in him  shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 This was the first Scripture I memorized as a child in Sunday School. I often think of it as I approach the Easter season, because Jesus’ sacrifice was motivated by his great love for us. In response to this demonstration of God’s love, many Christians around the world spend time preparing to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Because Jesus sacrificed for us, the Easter season has been a traditional time for believers to sacrifice something for Jesus. We give up something, or abstain from something, to help our hearts and minds focus on what Jesus did for us. Not all church traditions or Christian individuals prepare in this way; but I think there can be great merit in taking time and effort to change a habit, or a routine, for a spiritual reason during this spiritual season. We live in a culture...

Our lovable mutt, Heather, passed away a couple of years ago. We found her at a dog pound, adopted her into our family, and she nestled her way into our hearts and lives for the next 16 years. As I watched Heather express her unique, God-given personality, I learned a lot about the “ministry of presence”: one of the greatest gifts that God’s creatures can give to each other. I define the ministry of presence as being aware of – and paying attention to - what’s happening in the moment with those around us. This is something that dogs excel at. God has created them to fully live in the moment, observing – and responding to – the moods and tone of those they love.  This was abundantly true of Heather. When I was happy, she would wag her tail or even jump around with excitement. When I was afraid, she would growl or bark. When I was sad or in pain, she would sit close by my side and sometimes lick my hand or cheek. In short, Heather was continually ready to demonstrate her lov...

Creating – when immersed in spirit – becomes a  pathway  toward a closer connection to God. Sarah Stockton Creativity is God’s gift to each of us.  Using our creativity is our gift back to God. Julia Cameron How do we get close to God? We allow our senses, our minds and our very beings to be immersed in the things of God. Connecting with God cannot be just an analytical pursuit. Otherwise the core of our faith will be facts, rules, and behavior…rather than relationship. And one way to pursue that relationship is through creativity. Creativity that allows us to connect with God, and experience God, in new and different ways.  Our creativity is accessed from our brain’s intuitive center; the “right-brain”. This center connects most to our five senses and also can deeply establish experiences in our hearts which result in great transformation.  If we choose to invite God’s spirit to be with us when creating something, it puts us in a positi...

On this Valentine’s Day…a day when we think about love…here is a special love letter  for you. It’s a love letter from God the Father,  addressed to you as his precious child  (based on Psalm 139) Dear Child,  I made you. You’re unique. With love I formed you in your mother’s womb and fashioned you with mysterious complexity. I remember with great joy the day I created you in the secret place, and carefully shaped you from nothing to something.  You are beautiful. I love your smile; I love your ways. You are yourself, and no one else, and this is how I purposely made you .  I made you in such a way that you always will need me. I know if I had not made you like this, you would forget about me – your Creator. Sadly, many times you have stumbled and fallen, because you stood alone and would not take my hand. So many lessons you learned the hard way, because you would not listen to my voice. Instead you went your merry way alone,...