As I give thanks to You at the end of the day or greet this day with hope, the one thing lately that I want above all else is to live with a full heart. The one thing I fear most is passing through what’s left of my days with sterile laughter, superficial comfort, or counterfeit gladness.
I don’t want to say, “I love you” and not mean it. I don’t want see your handiwork in all its glory and not be moved by it. I don’t want to chase a life of ease and catch up to an empty heart.
So I come to You, knowing there’s no one who can fill my life with that kind of love, or free my soul from that kind of passionless bondage, like You do. And I pray that just as the morning sun fills the earth with light even on a cloudy day like today, that You would do what only You can do: [click to continue…]
Guided by a clear vision of what could be, and wisdom and skill known only to master craftsmen, the glass blower takes raw, shapeless material and goes about his work.
Molding.
Forming.
Bending.
Shaping.
A beautiful form begins taking shape, made possible by the searing flame. [click to continue…]
Hey. Glad you’re here for the tour. I have something I want to show you. Well, actually, lots of things I want to show you. And it’s a little weird because you know more about this stuff than I do. You see, this building – and all the rooms in it – is actually your life.
That explains why the upper floors are still under construction.
It also explains why many of the lower floors are being renovated.
Yes, it explains why some of the floor and rooms are dark, dark, dark – and why many others are very bright and festive.
Now before we begin the walk-through, I have some things for you to keep with you at all times. First up – your hard hat. Hey, it’s a construction zone. Hard hats are required. Sure, you can call it the “helmet of salvation” if you want. I don’t care what you call it – just wear it.
Safety glasses are also a must. It’s important that you protect your eyes, and also that you see clearly. Some people say these are a rose-colored. I like to think of them as shades of grace.
Also, keep this little container with you. You’ll see why later. Inside you’ll find some bread (unleavened, of course) and wine.
One more thing to notice is the inscription on your container. After all, this is the Gratitude Tour…
always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father (Ephesians 5:20).
Finally, I have a bonus surprise for you. [click to continue…]
He was careless in the conflict, and a bit presumptuous in the battle. Unaware of the schemes or the true power of his enemies – unaware at times of who his enemies actually were – he went down, wounded in the battle.
This is not your typical military operation. This is a spiritual battlefield, known for its invisible armies and stealth weapons. Known also for its enormous array of spectators – some cheering you on from heaven, others just watching a battle they themselves should be engaged in.
Lying there, ashamed, in pain, and afraid, it’s easy for discouragement and fear to have the final word. But deep in his spirit another wounded soldier’s testimony from long ago begins to stir his broken courage and will: [click to continue…]
Alexander's Bridge over Chickamauga Creek
Imagine throwing a little backyard barbecue and inviting 12,000 of your closest friends. And even closer enemies.
It happened nearly 125 years ago, in 1889, at a place called Chickamauga, near Chattanooga, TN. And it took place where these friends and enemies had once gathered 26 years earlier to kill each other.
You don’t hear as much about the Battle of Chickamauga as you do Vicksburg or Gettysburg or Shiloh. But in two days, 66,000 Confederate and 58,000 Union troops staged two days of hell – desperate, often hand-to-hand combat. Somewhere around 18,480 Confederate and 16,240 Union soldiers were killed, wounded or missing when all was said and done.
One side won the battle. The other won the war.
Then as time passed, something remarkable happened. [click to continue…]
I know a guy named Garrett who has completely changed my impression of him in a matter of a couple of years. When I first met him, he came across as a slacker – lazy, unmotivated, and a pretty bad student. But the last time I saw him he had rewritten his story – at least the one that played out in my head. Truth is, Garrett is sharp, actually quite brilliant as a communicator, and a potential world changer.
What made the difference?
Time. Perspective. A little experience. In Garrett’s case, he never stopped anything or changed anything. I just had more time to get to know what he was capable of. The one who needed changing was me.
Sarah and Ben were a different case. [click to continue…]
This just in: God wants your joy to be full.
I know, I know! It shocked me, too!
I was having coffee with a friend a few years ago and he mentioned a quote from Jesus: “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full” (John 16:24).
“God wants your joy to be full,” my friend said prophetically. That resonated with me. Deeply.
“I’ve had many joyful moments,” I confessed, “but I can’t tell you when the last time was I had joy on that level.”
How about you? When was the last time you experienced a joy so deep you could barely contain it?
I’m talking about something that Nehemiah says is your strength – this joy of the Lord. It’s the result of a supernatural exchange, according to Isaiah’s prophecy. The Spirit of God anointed Jesus to exchange your mourning and ashes for beauty and joy. Jesus later told his disciples that they would mourn at his death, but that their mourning would be turned to joy when they saw him again. And, as they asked in his name, they would receive, and their joy would be full.
So… just to make this clear… [click to continue…]
Picture a couple of goldfish in a cartoon. Only instead of a fishbowl, they’re holed up in a blender. One looks to the other and says, “The stress here is killing me!”
We had that cartoon at a place I used to work.
We also had that kind of stress. We never quite knew when somebody might show up and punch “Puree.”
Morale was hard to come by in that environment because we presented one set of values to the public, but lived by a different set behind the office doors. Information was available only on a “need to know” basis, and most people, most of the time, didn’t “need to know.” Accountability ran down a one-way street. Underlings were accountable for everything, including their email accounts and their bank accounts, while “leaders” answered to no one.
Oh… did I mention that this was a church? [click to continue…]
The other day I found a smoking gun. And it’s still smoking.
It’s the greatest test of your character, hands down. Other than pride, it’s the most deceptive phenomenon we humans encounter because it takes so many hidden forms.
It’s the deceptive driver behind many of the ways we think, act, or speak. It’s often the reason we give up in the face of pressure, avoid caring for certain people, or keep a long memory of others’ offenses. It drives us to compare ourselves with others, point out others’ faults and weaknesses, or brag about ourselves to impress people. It leads us to lie to protect ourselves, assume the worst about the future, or treat people with suspicion or jealousy or just plain rudeness.
Yes, I’m talking about fear. And it can lead to some galactically stupid choices. I’ve had mine. You’ve probably had yours. Let’s pick on somebody else. [click to continue…]
It takes time and intention, this Soul-Anchoring Moment,
And a willingness to wait for those fleeting experiences
That are tomorrow’s soul roots.
(Did I mention a willingness to wait?)
A Soul-Anchoring Moment…
Maybe it’s the possibility of holding all of your scattered grandchildren in one day.
Or a chance to hear again the sounds common to your birthplace
And sigh with satisfaction at the most trivial and most special of memories. [click to continue…]
As I give thanks to You at the end of the day or greet this day with hope, the one thing lately that I want above all else is to live with a full heart. The one thing I fear most is passing through what’s left of my days with sterile laughter, superficial comfort, or counterfeit gladness.
