Emotions get a bad rap in many of our Christian circles today. They’re vulnerable and get broken. They’re messy and don’t look right. We prefer thinking, analysis, doctrine, and three steps to a better life. “Believe and do what’s right,” is the typical message for how to follow Jesus and grow spiritually. “Emotions are the…
How can you be energized and enthused? What helps you to enjoy God’s presence in your life and as you serve the Lord in your work or ministry? At times we all find ourselves flagging in our faith. We need to go back to the Gospel of Jesus to appreciate the story of his life,…
Many families and groups are built on unhealthy “triangles” of three-way relationships that harm people and create dysfunction. It’s a simple concept, that once we understand, we can use to love one another better. The theory of triangles helps explain why being part of a family (also a small group, staff team, or church community)…
When Jesus lived on earth, he never walked on eggshells around people, worried about upsetting them, clung to them for approval, or pushed to get them to do what they should. He was self-aware, secure, solid, purposeful, straightforward, loving. How did Jesus do this? How was he able to be so loving, even to difficult…
“I feel invisible,” Angelica’s face sunk with her words. “My husband doesn’t even see me. He’s so focused on his work, his ministry projects, what he wants to do. There’s no room for me in our relationship…” After listening to her awhile, I felt like she was invisible! Really. My office was filled with his…
One thing that helped turn me around before I totally burned out was to look prayerfully at the life of Jesus. I studied the Gospels carefully and learned some surprising things that I hadn’t been taught in church. I saw Jesus setting boundaries repeatedly. I share the full results of this study into the confident…
We all want to be happy, but that can depress us! A pastor in my counseling office forced a smile, “I’m happy to support our friends who left our church to help out at a new church.” Aaron sounded so mature, so loving. But I could see the disappointment in his eyes and discouragement in…
As I prayed and pondered the beautiful life growing in my daughter’s womb so much began to well up in me! So many things I wanted to share about my Abba and his care for her! So I began to write Letters From Papa. The nurture and love of both of our parents set the…
The warmth of God’s presence can be elusive. In his secret journal Henri Nouwen is vulnerable about a dark season in which he couldn’t feel God’s love. He’d helped millions of other people around the world into a more tender and intimate experience with God, but he was in a Dark Night of the Soul.…
I was feeling discouraged and spiritually low. As I laid in bed I told the Lord I was really missing feelings of consolation and longing to feel his loving presence. Then in church I was feeling lonely and out of place and I was questioning if I was making a difference in my life. At…