Soul Care Articles We have hundreds of articles to help you connect with Jesus Christ, the Soul Shepherd.
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 A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
We say, “I love God.” But do we say this with endearment? Delight? Affection?
Maybe we’re embarrassed to show affection for God, to let our heart hang out for him. Or maybe it’s that as we go about our day we forget him — we get distracted. If we’re not careful the presence of the Lord in our midst becomes like the wallpaper that we don’t notice anymore.
Today I’ve been praying Psalm 2. I’m using a little prayer I wrote to keep offering up expressions of my love for God because he deserves my best. The Lord deserves my whole heart!
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Continue reading A Little Affection for our Great God
 A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
My heart goes out to people who get overcome by worry. It’s a temptation we all face. It used to be a way of life for me till I was renewed spiritually and deepened by trust in God’s Word.
As a Psychologist I help people with worry in therapy. I also provide spiritual care and mentoring for groups of people in homes, churches, and retreat centers. For instance, last night I was blessed to lead a group of friends in a time of Lectio Divina (an ancient way of praying Scripture) on Jesus’ beautiful [...]
Continue reading Be Clothed in God’s Sunshine
 A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
We all want 2012 to be better than 2011 — even if last year was a great year. How does that happen?
Not by having better circumstances. (They always go up and down.)
Not by keeping a typical New Years’ Resolution. (They don’t deal with personal character and besides they fizzle out by February.)
Not by making no resolutions. (It’s a good and necessary thing for all of us to resolve to be and do better, as long we’re inspired by God’s wisdom and relying on his strength.)
Not by following the typical Christian advice: “Three Steps to a Blessed Life” or [...]
Continue reading A Better Year Ahead?
 A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Mary offered a little prayer of faith to receive the birth of Christ and the world has never been the same! How might the world around you change if you offer her prayer from your heart?
These days in the Christmas season can be hectic. Many people find their calendars too full with holiday actives and they are hurried and stressed. For some there are family conflicts or financial problems to deal with. Others are lonely. These things — whether happy or unhappy — may distract us from appreciating the Christ of Christmas.
All of us, whether we realize it or not, [...]
Continue reading Participate in the Miracle of Christmas
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
This Christmas season maybe you need to appreciate that God bestows his favor on you personally? Maybe you’ve been feeling discouraged or insignificant and need to lift up your head to Christ? I did. So God led me to meditate on the shepherd’s place in the Christmas story as it’s recorded in the Bible (Luke 2:8-20).
In Jesus’ day shepherds were poor and disregarded. In public they hung their heads or stood off to the side. Isolated from the rest of society, they lived out in the fields caring for sheep day and night, rain or shine, heat or cold. They had to be constantly on [...]
Continue reading Lift Up Your Head!
 Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Of all the virtues gratitude is queen. Giving thanks to God is the most lovely virtue and it’s the mother of all that is good. That’s because “Every good and perfect give is from above” (James 1:17) and appreciating this is the way we participate in God’s blessings for us and others.
Research shows that grateful people are healthier, happier, and have more friends. Most of us know this but are prone to allow our thankfulness to be overtaken by things like worry, boredom with the mundane, time pressure, negative people, or pain.
How to Grow in Gratitude
The great apostle urges us, [...]
Continue reading Thank you… Lord
 By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
It’s ironic that the more we long for Jesus—to know him intimately and love him fully—the more we are deeply satisfied. Most things in life don’t work that way. If you cultivate a craving for chocolate you’re likely to keep eating it and gain weight or get sick to your stomach!
Craving becomes a big problem if you’re longing is for acceptance or self-worth and you keep striving to achieve it. You can never accomplish enough. Never be attractive enough. Never keep people happy with you. Many addictions and much unhappiness come out of craving for things other than Jesus.
Is the Lord your Portion?
Many [...]
Continue reading The Lord is my Portion
Soul Shepherding Moments
By Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. © 2011
“Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: ‘Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.’
“Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.” (Matthew 11:25-27, MSG)
Most of us try to have a prayer life and feel guilty that we don’t spend enough time praying, especially for the needs of others. This is not the right way to think about prayer. Don’t seek a prayer life—seek a praying life, a life permeated with prayer.
Jesus shows [...]
Continue reading Abruptly Break into Prayer
 By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Do you ever become jealous? Or get competitive? Most people do.
These are problems of insecurity that come from trying to find our value in the things we have, the way we look, or what we do. This is the way of our culture which says, “Blessed are the rich, the good looking, and the successful because they have what the best that the world has to offer.”
Who is Really Well Off?
But Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor and the shy because the kingdom of the heavens is open to them.” But don’t stop there. He would also say, “Blessed are the rich, the [...]
Continue reading More of Jesus… Less of Me
 By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Discipleship to Jesus changes how we live. We gain a new perspective and new resources—a new life takes over our life. We learn to do whatever we’re doing from within God’s kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17).
What does this look like? Dallas Willard says it’s like becoming an apprentice to Jesus. It’s not about being religious—it’s about being with Jesus to become like him, holding his hand and learning from him continually.
Learning from Jesus, the Master, changes everything about our lives because it changes us on the inside. What difference does discipleship to Jesus make in our daily lives? It’s huge!
A [...]
Continue reading Learn from the Plumber
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A Soul Shepherding Moment
