Christmastime can be so noisy and busy! Perhaps God is inviting you to make time for quiet prayer? Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) waited in silence ten months for the first Christmas! We might do well to pray in quiet for ten minutes! Or an hour or two. Be still to anticipate Christ’s coming and…
In 2002 had been living as a “Christian” for over 30 years, but I was depressed. Marriage, family, friendships, career, and ministry were all going well for me but there was still an emptiness in my soul. I had lost my enthusiasm for Christ and life years earlier and was going through the motions. I…
What makes for a “good day”? For me it starts with prayer. This morning I awoke early. My thoughts started down the path of planning all I had to do and I started to feel anxious… How easy it is for me at that point to get out of bed and go to work! Instead,…
The other day I was tempted to become worried and fearful. My income is way down this year and, with a son in college, our family expenses are way up. We’ve had to dip into savings to keep our heads above water. (Thank God for savings!) Most of my life in this situation I’ve gone…
Is Jesus enough for you? Really? Is being close to Jesus what is most important to you? I ask myself this question all the time. One important way to connect with Jesus is by being child-like with him. Even responsible adults have an “inner child” that longs to know the “Abba” (Hebrew for “Papa”) that…
I was talking with a friend who likes to drive in the fast lane. He thrives on trying to get more done in less time in order to be successful. He’s very productive… and stressed. He doesn’t realize that he’s continually recruiting adrenaline to give him the boost of energy and confidence that he feels…
Just another mundane Monday. Jesus Christ, the carpenter from Nazareth, understands — and he knows how to help us find joy and peace in tedious work. Much of our lives includes ordinary work and chores. We all have to do tedious things that don’t excite us — at work, around the house or in running…
Recently I was in a conversation with an older, conservative pastor and he was explaining why he thought it wasn’t good to put tattoos on our bodies that are meant to be temples for the Holy Spirit. Granted some tattooing is excessive and unappealing, but still I was uncomfortable with him making that judgment. I…
Heather was paralyzed for eight years after a car accident. But today she can walk with ease and dance with joy! Glory to God! Thanks and praise to Jesus Christ! Heather is one of the readers of the Soul Shepherding Devotional and she wants to share her story of healing with you. What a blessing…
I fell into a depression when I was a freshman in college. I had become despondent as a struggling pre-med student. I was chasing a fantasy of being a medical doctor and trying to make my family proud of me. But I hated biology and chemistry! I felt sick to my stomach when I dissected a…