Tag Archives: Spiritual Formation

Single Matters’ logo is based on Psalm 1:1-3. Blessed is the man     who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,     nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord,     and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree     planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,     and …

When I was in college, I asked my dad for some dating advice. Specifically, I was curious about how I would know I’ve found “the one.” I’ve learned over the years that when my dad doesn’t feel comfortable answering a question, he gives me the old runaround. “Nik, I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers.” He tried this, …

You’re familiar with the song, “Praise You in This Storm” from Casting Crowns, right? The chorus goes has a line that says “I’ll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hand for You are who You are.” I’ve repeated the words to that song numerous times, driving down the road, cleaning house, during a worship set at …

I am a fixer and a doer. This means that I don’t particularly like to sit around talking about problems, and instead I like to FIX them. With such a “FIX and DO attitude,” I have been able to achieve a lot of professional success, but my emotional as well as spiritual journeys are a work in progress. For instance, …

Co-worker: “How old is she?” Me: “She is probably around my age, like mid-twenties.” Co-worker: “Uh …” Me: “Oh no. I’m definitely late twenties. 27. I’m almost dead.” I felt twenty-five for a long time. I was confident I had most everything figured out, and the things I didn’t just yet—well, I had plenty of time. Thirty is when I …

“In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land” (Psalms 95:4-5). Recently some friends and I went on a road trip. Before we left, one friend told me the other friend had only been outside her hometown twice in her life. …

It was a normal road beneath a glorious sky. I was driving one leg of a 15-hour trip, hoping to skirt the severe storm just to the west. Perilous black clouds gathered and seemed to creep up on me. Yet on my right, the sun shone and the clouds were puffy white, enticing me to hope. On these long trips, …

A little while ago, a good friend of mine asked me, “When have you ever felt ‘this is it’”?  It was just another way of asking, “When in life have you been completely content?” The more I thought about this question, three images or pictures kept coming to mind. All three pictures are representative of larger themes of contentment in …

Security. At one time, security may have seemed like a dirty word to the adventurous side in me, but now my inner gypsy is tired and looking for a home without wheels. Words like “predictable” and “reliable” have a lovely ring; they no longer seem like synonyms for boring. This past year, I have been tearing out my hair in …

Going off on her in your mind didn’t help. Not getting any sleep didn’t help. Stressing out because the situation seems out of your control—yeah, that didn’t help. Putting in your complaint about her seeming obsession with control surely didn’t do the trick. Praying to God to remove her—well, she’s still there, so not sure where that prayer went. Have …