It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A little less than two weeks until Christmas but in many households joy-filled wonderful is not filling the air. I’ve heard from a number of people who feel there is not enough time, money, or energy to see them through to the end of the year. They’re exhausted…
I was undone. I doubted I would ever be happy again. At the time I couldn’t see the way God was working in and through my pain to patiently and lovingly give me something more precious than my lost happiness. God knew my greatest need was not happiness. My greatest need was joy. I believe…
It’s the last month of The Faith Project. I can hardly believe it. We’ve taken a close look at Freedom in Christ, Love, Wisdom, Prayer, Humility, Patience, Stillness, Goodness, Peace, Worship, and Gratitude. Let’s end the year with Joy. Joy that goes deep into the heart and soul dwelling in the presence of God Himself. Here…
I sometimes wonder if we might not have a distorted view of Jesus. If we mold Him into who we think He is or who we want Him to be not who He really is. There are people want a warm and fuzzy Jesus. Someone who overlooks sin and makes them feel good about themselves. Others…
Entitlement is 1) the condition of having the right to have, do, or get something 2) the feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something. Entitlement is the Opposite of Gratitude. It is a greedy, self-serving “I deserve it” attitude about life. What do you and I deserve? I turned to the internet, where I…
I didn’t choose my life verse. It chose me. And then a few years later, it chose Rev too. Psalm 73:26 literally jumped off the page as I sat reading my Bible with a crumpled and defeated heart. Physically I was fine but emotionally I was wrecked. Then just a couple of years later, Rev’s…
I wasn’t feeling very thankful. In my defense, I was pregnant and raging hormones were affecting my thinking. It seems silly in retrospect, but there I stood in the closet grumbling to myself as I moved Rev’s suits and dress pants from wire hangers back to suit hangers. Kind of funny considering all the parenting…
Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NCV) Really? Whatever happens? When I was curled up in the fetal position broken and feeling like I’d never feel happy again giving thanks was not a priority. Slowly, I began finding reasons to be thankful ….
Do you ever need a little extra inspiration to jumpstart feelings of thankfulness? I do. Some days are just hard and as I look around it’s hard to feel thankful in the midst of so much chaos and confusion. But there is always a reason to be thankful. Always. God is great. He is…
You and I know God wants us to thank and praise Him but I sometimes wonder if I’m thanking Him the ways He wants. I start my prayers with thank you and praise Him for who He is and what He does but are words enough. David wrote: Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep…
I’m not proud of this… I’ve had too many times in my life when all I could focus on was the problem. Like the eight years we struggled with secondary infertility, or when Rev was so sick, or when I allowed a problem with a child to consume my thoughts. And if I sat here for…
Do you want to know something funny? If you wanted, you could almost make gratitude a priority for purely selfish reasons. Seriously, it’s that good for you! 10 Wonderful Reasons Gratitude is Good for You Gratitude will make you happier. You choose . . . appreciative or dissatisfied. I know which one can tank…
I sometimes wonder what more can be written about gratitude. Countless articles have been written about the ways gratitude can improve your health, bless your relationships, and turn the average day into a celebration. And yet… We’re still not very good at it, are we? We don’t consistently express our gratitude to God or the…
When I started my month-long study of worship, I wanted to know the what, why, when, and who of worship. Not why people gather together in churches on weekends or their preferred style of music but why you and I worship, what does worship look like in a believer’s life, and when followers of Jesus worship. So, here’s…
Why do you worship God? Seriously, stop for a minute and think about it . . . why do you worship God? Do you worship Him because… You were brought up that way? The Bible tells says you should? You like getting together with like-minded people? It’s good for your children? You don’t know it…
I googled Why Should You Worship When You Don’t Feel Like it and wasn’t surprised to find millions of possibilities. What I did find interesting was that most of the things listed on the early pages had to do with not feeling like going to church. And I get it. That’s an issue. But we’ve…
“Since the days of our first parents in the Garden of Eden, worship has walked a tightrope between lifestyle and liturgy. When God walked in the Garden with His first children in the cool of the day, Adam and Eve worshiped Him as we should—without interruption. The Creator and His creatures experienced a continual, ongoing…
I walk outside in the morning and lift my eyes. Trees blow in the breeze as clouds drift across the sky. Birds sing as squirrels and chipmunks scurry and I stop for just a moment to watch my little world and worship the Creator. The One who alone is worthy of my praise. Then I…
Who do you worship? You know, this is my place to ask questions, to wonder… And today, I’m wondering about celebrity worship. Not the “syndrome” that affects some but the fascination that influences so many. Admiring people for their abilities and accomplishments isn’t a bad thing when it motivates and inspires us to do and…
I remember the pastor who said he hoped he was dead before the next new hymnal was introduced . . . all the complaining and arguing convinced him that he never wanted to do it again. I remember the woman who said she’d leave our church if I didn’t add more Christmas songs to the…
My favorite definition for the word worship is… Offering your entire life . . . your everyday, ordinary, sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life. It’s as much attitude as action! Do you ever get confused by Jesus’ words about worshipping in spirit and truth? “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will…
