When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. Jeremiah 15:16 NIV I’ve practiced this spiritual discipline for several years now… the discipline of asking God for one word as a theme for the year… A word to speak to my…… Continue reading new year… new word…
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:2 ESV This is where my mornings begin… In the dark… at least most days… up before the sun… After dressing… the place I enter…… Continue reading first thing…
When cleaning… laundry… creating order… become a spiritual discipline… they take the place of writing here… Returning home to a disordered house… with groceries to put away… energy went toward restoring what had been displaced… As I cleaned… put away… vacuumed… swept… steamed the floors… with loved ones winding down for the evening… the flesh…… Continue reading another kind of discipline…
Chilly days… cold nights… mean fires in the fireplace… Each morning… waking to what seems cold… dead… still… where fire blazed bright and warm the night before… The wood consumed… gray ashes in their place… But under the gray… hide coals… which need stirring… Using the poker… they are uncovered… revealing a fuel for flame……… Continue reading fan the flame…
Teaching fourth graders Bible today… we talked about temptation…and Jesus’s bout with it in the wilderness… right after His baptism…Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wildernessto be tempted by the devil.Matthew 4:1 NIVI asked the question… Who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted…?Not one… but two said… Satan… The devil…Then I…… Continue reading sometimes… His way is just counterintuitive…
A challenge in Bible study…a spiritual discipline…the Daily Examen…The Daily Examen is a technique of prayer reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our…… Continue reading examen…
Struggling to enter a day of fasting… led to an observation…On my treadmill… while reading about Christ revealed in Zephaniah…Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!Rejoice and exult with all your heart,O daughter of Jerusalem!The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;he has cleared away your enemies.The King of Israel, the Lord,…… Continue reading an observation about fasting…
