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…
You and I will worship someone or something. It’s in our nature. God created us for a relationship with Him and part of that relationship includes worship. But since Satan decided he’d like to claim worship for himself and convinced Adam and Eve that they too could “be like God” we’ve often missed the mark…
I’ve been reading through Leviticus and Numbers lately. I know. Who reads through Leviticus and Numbers? Obedience. Worship. Lists. Rules. Count this group. Assign this task. Offer that sacrifice. And we can’t help but wonder why? What is the message of these two hard to read and harder to process Old Testament books? In Leviticus,…
In response to Satan offering Him everything in the world for His worship, Jesus replied, ” Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him. Matthew 4:10 Who is this God you and I worship? The “I AM.” The One who…
It’s October. Three more months until we close The Faith Project 2016. Although, I do believe it is a life-long pursuit. Thank you for joining me and digging deep into freedom, love, humility, patience, goodness, stillness, humility, wisdom, and prayer. Now I want to explore worship. Another word that is used often and comes with…
God’s Peace – that tranquil feeling that flits in for occasional moments and then disappears for far too long . . . everyone wants it but few have it. When I started the month I wanted to know . . . more about having peace with God and finding peace in a sinful world, how…
You’re wonderful! Yes, you! But if you’re like me, you’ve already thought of a dozen ways to disagree those words. I never think of myself as wonderful. Most of the time I go straight to the superficial . . . to appearances. And all I see are imperfections. I started treatment for acne last week. Seriously,…
Are you a peacemaker or a peacekeeper? As I ask that question, I want to make the point that this isn’t about military or law enforcement peacekeepers . . . today we’re talking personal and relational! You see… I hate conflict and for much of my life, I was a peacekeeper. I did whatever it took…
If you and I want to experience peace, we must live one day at a time. Peace can’t be tacked on to an agitated yesterday or pre-applied to tomorrow’s unknown. Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and regretted wasting it on worry and anxiety? I know I have. No more. I’m…
