Another week of stay-at-home orders. Another day of statistics and analyses and projections for physical distancing to continue for a month of Sundays. For some, the journey is easier than for others. Yet, we all grow weary of the changes, turmoil and controversies. We no sooner awaken than our minds are spinning. Questions lurk as we swim through uncertain waters. Our stamina wanes. Our minds grow sluggish. We find ourselves carrying a deep weariness. We long to pull away and...
April 16, 2020
How to Rest When the World is Upside Down
April 9, 2020
Two Important Questions to Consider this Easter Season
As we begin the transition from the final days of Lent into the Easter week-end, we pace ourselves to take in all that took place in the final days of Jesus’ experience and the dramatic, eternal alteration in heaven and earth. To help understand not just what happened in the physical world, but what transpired in the spiritual realm, we ask ourselves these two questions: “What if Jesus had not come? Where would I be?” Does the answer to those...
April 2, 2020
How to Purposely Persevere in a Pandemic
And so the COVID-19 storm continues. In some areas raging; in others, the “hurricane” looms offshore, making a steady approach. In the rural areas, as we sit in the calmer eye of the storm, folks feel a little restless. Our initial “throw me in the briar patch” response to the stay-at-home order turns to a startled, “What do you mean this won’t peak for four weeks?” We’re not mentally prepared for a slow recovery on the other side of the...
March 19, 2020
COVID-19: 4 Suggestions You Won’t Hear on the News
Anybody else want to sell their ticket on the coronavirus rollercoaster? Anyone tired of the up and down uncertainty of hype versus truth? Anybody experiencing the “up” of that early morning, peaceful awakening, then the “plunge” into realization that normal flew out the window days ago? Any others struggling to corral legitimate concerns so they don’t stampede into fears? Yeah. Me too. That age old battle ensues as the Enemy, both slyly and outright, attacks the fruit of the Spirit...
March 12, 2020
2 Things to Grasp when Life’s Unpredictable Storms Hit
One of the few things about life we can predict is that life is unpredictable. Circumstances change in a heartbeat. Issues start piling up that were nowhere on our radar screen. With relief, we leave behind unexpected trials in one season only to face shocking ones in the next. We did not anticipate a financial crisis or a disease dramatically altering our life. No telegraph, sirens or flashing lights warn us of the tidal wave coming just around the corner....
February 20, 2020
Is God as Sick and Tired of My Weakness as I Am?
“God, are You annoyed by my wavering? Fed up with my struggling? Do You tire of my wrestling the same beast over and over, never getting full victory? Do You shake your head at my weakness?” This conversation with God comes and goes along our journey. We ourselves become jaded with an ongoing battle or shortcoming. And then wonder if God too grows weary. Is He tired of us bringing our issues to Him? Does He roll His eyes when...
February 13, 2020
How to Master Monotony
Though many hards come through dramatic changes, unexpected events, or out of our control scenarios, one hard creeps up for the opposite reason. We experience phases where the pace of life rolls out day after week after month in ordinary, blah, routine. We find ourselves wandering around on the flat, prosaic plains of monotony. Everything so uniform and predictable it’s wearisome. Another ordinary day. More of the same at work. The unending grind of daily tasks. Constant repairs and cleaning...
February 6, 2020
When To Let Go
DON’T GIVE UP. These bold black letters jump off signs standing randomly in yards, fields, or along the road. A whisper of encouragement to a hurting someone gripping the wheel struggling to focus on the road, or cowering in a back seat. Feeling confused. Perceiving aloneness. Wearing a cloak of hopelessness. Inspirational signs dot the landscape across our country: “Don’t give up. You are loved. You matter. You have a purpose. Keep fighting.” The words intended for the someone at the...
January 30, 2020
What You Need to Know About the Unknown
The unknown. At times, this weighs hard on everyone. For those prone to fear and anxiety, the concealed creates a vast depth of despair and dread. Worry mounts and distress moves in, crowding out peace and joy. A myriad of facts and certainties, from science and math to the details of our work and daily lives, establish a sense of security and build a false confidence that we are in control. But without warning, the “what if” flags start popping...
January 23, 2020
Ticking Away
One hard in life we all face is the swift passage of time. Spoken with a mixture of surprise, anxiety and lament, the phrase “time goes so fast” echoes through days and decades. We cannot corral enough time to accomplish ”all the things”. What time we have we often hurry along by focusing on some future event or phase of life, while the moment we are in slips by with little notice. We can’t wait to be a teenager. Blink,...