Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (2 John 12) I once had a serious break with my daughter that was breaking my heart. …
Tag: help
With Barnabas
When he [Paul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord... (Acts 9:26-27) …
Worshipping and Praising God
Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. (Ps. 96:9) I recently led a workshop on Emotional Intelligence at the sheriff’s academy. Before starting to present the material, I asked the participants what it was like to be police officers these days. They were very forthcoming about all the strains, …
Faith Lost and Then Found Again
Then Job answered the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted…. Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.’ (Job 42:1-3) His name was Will. He was a retired clergy person who …
God’s Purpose for Us
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28) Why are we here? What gives meaning to our life? What gets us out of bed in the morning? What helps us to sleep at night? Simply put: What is our purpose? …
Delighting God’s Heart
No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:16-17) I will …
Encouraging One Another
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. (1 Thess. 5:11) She was a world-class athlete, who had competed at the Iron Man championship in Hawaii—which is 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking, and 26.2 miles running. I had met her at the gym. If you sweat in close …
Sharing the Love of Jesus
Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pt. 4:8) He was a difficult man. Everywhere he went he was disruptive and disrespectful. People tried to avoid him. One day he burst into my office and said, “Today I’m going to tell you my story.” I didn’t know …
Trusting in God’s Grace
Therefore, confess your sins to one another… (Jas. 5:16) I was in my twenties, on my knees, confessing my sins to a monk, and I heard him snoring. When I loudly coughed he woke up for a few moments, but then he fell asleep again. I was miffed he was so inattentive. I thought my …
Coffee With Jesus
In the morning, while it was still very dark, [Jesus] got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. (Mk. 1:35) For many years my spiritual advisor was a monk. His name was Tom. Although I haven’t worked with him for many years, I’m still drawing from our times together. …