"Hello, my name is Elihu and I am a control-aholic. It's been 24 hours since my last surge of anxiety and 3 days since I felt the need to control a situation." For control-aholics, the urge to regulate every piece of our world damages our relationships---particularly our relationship with the Father. Anxiety and anger become our constant companions as we fight to regulate every aspect of our life. It's time for a change.
Wishing to be someone else or longing for life to be different sounds understandable on the surface---particularly in our culture where self-fulfillment and happiness are counted among the highest goals. However, there is an underlying insidiousness in these longings. Am I looking at what God has given me as though it isn't good... or isn't good enough?
As I was visiting with a friend yesterday afternoon, we started talking vacations. Since having kids, I have felt as though vacations are more work than they are relaxing. More than once, I would have preferred to stay home so I could actually rest. Have you ever felt the same? While we live on this earth, work… Continue reading Rest, Refuge, and Peace: Scripture Writing Plan April 2019
"I needed to be happy, so I ____________________." How many different ways do people fill in this blank? "...left my spouse." "...quit my job." "...stopped going to church." "...aborted my child." "...drank my sorrows away." "...took some "me" time" How would you fill in the blank? Or, would you even say this at all? There… Continue reading How important is my happiness?
Who or what is your “safe place”? Who or what gives you a sense of security? It’s easy to pay lip service to God while we place our trust in earthly supports.
We cannot expect our children to cling to their faith with conviction if they are only exposed to God for 3% of their life. Some will undoubtably cling to their faith because the Word of God is powerful whether we wield it or not, but if we neglect to teach our children, history (particularly biblical history) teaches us that only a remnant will remain. Parents, the job of spiritual instruction was never meant to rest squarely on the shoulders of the Bible class teachers.
During my college years, I was blessed to worship and work with an amazing group of Christians. Our preacher loved to learn and teach. Because of that congregation, I didn't just get a college education, I also received a very thorough Bible education! I asked our preacher for information about the origins of the Bible… Continue reading Learning About Pre-Modern Bibles
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1.5 Our lives are peppered with daily choices, and the impact of our choices may have far-reaching consequences. To navigate through our words and our choices, we need wisdom. Living in… Continue reading Wisdom from Proverbs – Scripture Writing Plan for March
The kids and I are currently reading through Numbers. We've already tackled the first three books of the Pentateuch and they are well-acquainted with the Israelites' litany of complaints since their departure from Egypt. Shaking our heads in disgust at their obvious lack of faith is a knee-jerk reaction. However, if we are looking into God's word like a mirror, we may see some glaring (and disturbing) similarities in ourselves!
Living as a Christian often feels a bit like driving a car for the first time. Why can't it just keep going straight? Why does it want to veer the wrong direction? Why do we frequently lose focus on Christ? Other people make it look so easy!!! Just like driving, our walk with God requires us to make adjustments. Sometimes we make major turning movements to avoid collisions. Most of the time, however, we simply need to keep our hands on the wheel, making minor adjustments to maintain a straight course. Our eyes look ahead toward the eternal goal while frequently scanning our surroundings for danger.
