One night, my sister was jolted awake by the sound of her dogs barking. It wasn't ordinary barking. They were going crazy. She got up and went downstairs to where the dogs were scratching at the front door to go out. Because she was tired, she opened the door without looking outside first and was... Continue Reading →

The first and probably weirdest thing about God is the mind-bending paradox that God is Three Persons yet One God. That is why I call God "God" rather than "He or She." Even though I'm avoiding gender pronouns, I will use the traditional language of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy... Continue Reading →

Pain is a very effective distraction.

If we slow down and think about the Lord's Prayer while we are reciting it, we see that we have been asking God all along to do whatever God thinks best. But God needs a willing accomplice in this world to do it. In prayer, we hold the door open, invite God in, and say "I'm with you God! Do what you need to do!"

Effective prayer doesn't depend on us being good at it. Instead, we depend on God to be good in all things.

"For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life."

The Bible is not the easiest book to read. We know we are supposed to read it, and we often try, but then feel guilty because we "didn't get anything out of it." Ever feel that way? Relax. It's not just you

You are feeling a mix of shock, shame, and confusion. What do you do? What is the first thing to do? Start over? Lash Out? Give up? How you answer that question says a lot about you.

I have always told myself that some brains are wired for numbers better than others, which means I can give myself a pass. Math is for other people who are naturally better at it. We tell ourselves the same delusional things about discipleship. If I'm not naturally good at something, it must not be for me. Like forgiveness. Forgiveness is hard, so it must not be for me. Nice try.

Self denial is un-American, because we are the nation of instant gratification. As disciples, though, we are citizens of a different realm where patience, self control and sacrifice are the ways we beat back the darkness.