Do words fail you when you pray? Are you ever not quite sure what to say? Do you ever get distracted? I can honestly answer yes to all three, and I think I’m not the only one. Using a guide/resource when you pray doesn’t make you any less spiritual. Here are some tools that help […]
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3 Steps to Praying More Powerful Prayers
I used to think that prayer was telling God what your problems were and then expecting an answer from him sometime later. You know, kind of like filing an insurance claim. I’m astounded at how much my views have changed since then. Would you like to pray more powerful prayers? When you pray, would you […]
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Why You Don’t Pray: 4 Truths You’ve Forgotten/Missed
Would you like to have a better prayer life? Do you need motivation to carve out time against your maxed-out, packed-out schedule? Here’s four scriptural reasons to keep first things first in your relationship with God. 1. It’s the most important question When the disciples of Jesus saw his miracles, they had only one question. […]
Process through Your Heartache WITH God: 4 Steps
What do you do when life knocks the breath out of you? How do you handle heartache and discouragement? I’ve dealt with low-level chronic pain for more than a decade. Rather than ignoring the pain, do what I learned. Process through the pain with God. 1. Tantrum – This first step may surprise you. Whether […]
My Infatuation with Miss Mystery
“What I think you really want is God,” my friend said to me. What a slap in the face. No, I want the girl! The protest nearly made it out of my mouth, but I caught it when it was still in the back of my throat. Surprised at me? I wasn’t talking about my […]
The 1 Thing that’s Missing in your Christian Life
The flea market is often where you find the most spiritual people. For many years, my cousin’s father sold collectors’ knives at the local market. I remember going with Kyle to visit his dad’s stand one time. We leisurely wandered around looking at all of the lights, wall decorations, used furniture, antique stoves, classic video […]
Healing is Your Job (Healing School 11)
I must constantly remind myself that the tree of healing in my life grows in the soil of my understanding of God’s will, that he has put forth in his word his desire to heal me. Each day, the sapling must be watered by my confession – out loud – of the word of God. […]
Tend the Seed (Healing School 10)
I heard a thought-provoking sermon by Kris Vallotton recently regarding God’s promises and miracles. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 He argues the reason that desire fulfilled is a tree of life is because the promise comes in the form of a seed–one which […]
7 Pets: A Story about Living with Intermittent Chronic Pain
Rev. John Watson famously wrote in the late 1800s: “Be pitiful [compassionate], for every man is fighting a hard battle.” This post is a little bit about my battle. First, I call this series Healing School, not Pain School, because the main thrust is not to describe the nature of my pain to you. Even […]
How to Write Songs: Notes on Creativity from Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman
Here are some practical tips from Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman on songwriting: Write from your own need for God. Others engage your song if they are able to relate to it. Give yourself a deadline. You’re never really finished with a song, and it’ll remain in a nebulous state until forced out. Perfectionists will […]
How to Write Songs: Notes on Collaboration from Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman
• Write around others. If you’ve ever walked into a Starbucks, you’ve probably seen at least one or two people with a Macbook open, earbuds in, sipping a soy latte, and studying or writing on something. I used to scoff at such individuals. “You really mean to tell me you get up, drive to a […]
Teaching: Confronting my American Idols
Step into my classroom on any given morning, and you’ll see a kaleidoscope of humanity. About half my class was born outside the United States. I have students from Eastern Africa, the Middle East, India, Burma, and more. My American-born students range from platinum blonde to black, and all in between. They are Muslims, Christians, […]