A page from my journal: April 1-2, 2024 Not giving up is more than just continuing to mindlessly do all of the things that everyone can see. Not giving up is a heart stance; a hope; a way of looking…
Cultivating Incorrigible Hope
“Isabelle would think of me in the present tense [I thought]. She was incorrigible when it came to hope.” It’s a line from the book I’m currently editing (shared with permission). The narrator is “presumed dead,” but she knows her…
Stumbling Blocks to Our Faith
There are a few things that seem to be consistent stumbling blocks for Christians who are growing in their faith. I’m not necessarily talking about young Christians – though these can apply to them too – but about mature Christians…
Do You Hope Well?
There’s something very special about the expectancy of good things. It lifts our spirits; it helps us focus; it helps us to dream and use our God-given imaginations; it reminds us of God’s goodness; it gives us joy in what…
We Don’t Serve a Fatalistic God
Recently, I’ve met some people who believe that God knows everything that will happen. They talk about how God knows what we’ll choose, what we’ll do, and how we’ll do it. He also already knows what He is going to…
God of the Unexpected
Yesterday I was talking with some friends about the sparkle in life – the things that keep life worth living, the things that energize us and give us hope. It’s the things that give us joy when we’re sad, keep…
Bucket List Hikes & Words from God
Do you have a so-called “bucket list” of hikes or destinations you want to visit? It seems many of my hiking friends have a list (mental, on their electronic devices, or on apps like Pinterest) of places they want to…
Tender Words of Love
We talked last week about how God speaks tenderly to us in the wilderness (Hosea 2:14). When He speaks to us, it heals the scars on our hearts; it renews and revives us. One of the things that I’ve discovered…
Grace and Hope
We’ve been talking the last couple weeks about extending grace to others and calling them higher rather than trying to mold those people and situations to fit our expectations. A MeWe friend commented, “We live in hope, not expectation.…
Giving Grace and Calling Higher
Last week we talked about how giving grace to the people and situations around us can have untold benefits: benefits of peace in our own hearts, benefits of allowing people grow into the reality that God has for them.…