Tag Archives: Spiritual Formation

This is part two of how to reconcile well. In part one, I shared how the enemy uses our desire for reconciliation or our avoidance of it against us. Reconciliation is a gift we’ve been given to exercise. Because without it we’d either be handling conflict in our own strength or not handling it at all. Since all gifts are …

I love reading stories in the Bible about King David’s mighty men. They were strong, fearless and incredibly loyal. Within the army were two elite groups made up of Israel’s mightiest warriors — the Thirty and the Three (the three greatest warriors among the Thirty). My favorite of these mighty men is Benaiah. One of the Thirty, he is only …

I’m confident.  Or at least I thought I was … I’ve always prided myself as a confident person. But lately I’ve begun to question my long-held belief. The questioning began the day I picked up a pencil to write and found myself in a deep inner dialogue. It went something like this… Hello, pencil! My trusted friend.  Why do you …

It’s been raining a lot. The kind of rain that ruins plans and makes you want to drive immediately home. The kind that leaves you feeling vitamin D deficient and bummed. Also, I’ve been in a slump (just like the sky), which has completely sucked. I’ve been edging my way out of it. It’s been slow and painful. It’s mostly …

    The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. –Psalm 34:18 (NIV) When you feel insignificant, abandoned or rejected, remember God sees where you are. And He throws no one away. I was recently betrayed and abruptly discarded by some friends over a silly misunderstanding. But God interrupted my rejection pity party by reminding …

I still remember the day these words were spoken to me at a prophetic training event at church. “I just felt like the Lord says sometimes you feel downcast about yourself. I saw you with a crown on your head.  And He just wanted you to know … He wants you to see you how He sees you. He says …

New opportunities can be scary. Even opportunities that we have been praying and believing God for: a new promotion, new marriage, new home. These are all wonderful and positive life experiences, but they can also be frightening if you’re not sure what to expect. How do you prepare for changes when they come your way? How will you know if …

  I recently took a trip to a place I once called home. What I found was not home. I found a land and a people I once knew. One that I no longer connected to. A land where I no longer felt like me. It’s a strange thing to leave a place one person and return a short time …

If someone actually died and went to Hell, then came back to share his ordeal, would you listen? Better yet, would you believe it or just consider it a disconnected dissonance without his subconscious mind and perceived sense of judgment? With all the crazy and fake stories floating around, how could you prove his story’s accuracy? Even if it was …

My foot was tap dancing as I waited for someone to answer the phone. I knew asking for a refund for a concert ticket was a long shot, but since I found out I’d have to go by myself, I just didn’t want to go anymore . Finally, a lady answered, asking how she could assist me. I told her …