don’t let them tame you.
There’s this conviction that’s drilling deep down within me. And it’s slow. But it’s steady. And it just sinks and settles. And this conviction is that life is a gift—an opportunity. I’m not talking about a wimpish and half-hearted fling-the-dart-towards-the-target sort of opportunity. I’m talking the Eminem “Lose Yourself” sort of opportunity: Look, if you [...]
now go sit with someone…
On Guilt: “It is about as hard to absolve yourself of your own guilt as it is to sit in your own lap. Wrongdoing sparks guilt sparks wrongdoing ad nauseam, and we all try to disguise the grim process from both ourselves and everybody else. In order to break the circuit we need friends before [...]
dream bigger this Christmas!
Just Ask. None of my (suburban, American, well-fed and cared for) grandchildren has ever told me, “I want a rubber band this Christmas.” Nor “I asked Santa for a bowl of oatmeal.” Nor “I wish for a tube of toothpaste.” No. They dream big: They ask for new bicycles and good books to read and [...]
where?
I should probably confess that prayer is one of the most difficult of all the means of connecting with God. In fact, right now I prefer to sit in silence than squeeze out a prayer. Wait. Maybe those are one and the same. Maybe. I wrote this in my journal recently: …the truth is that [...]
the already/not yet of advent
Coming from a church that followed a liturgical calendar, Advent was always a focal point of the year. The Advent wreath was lit each Sunday for the 4 weeks before Christmas Eve/Day with kids and families doing a reading and lighting candles. Our message series always followed a theme (like hope, joy, peace, life), and [...]
[video] defining thankfulness
![[video] defining thankfulness](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/defining-thankfulness-150x150.jpg)
What does it mean to be thankful? What does thankfulness look like? How does an attitude of thankfulness impact our actions and our lives? This short video from IgniterMedia.com attempts to define what thankfulness looks like for the Christian. What does it look like in your life?
complacency and counting your blessings [the heart of thanksliving]
![complacency and counting your blessings [the heart of thanksliving]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/count-your-blessings-150x150.jpg)
OK, so yesterday I started off by saying that one of the keys to a heart of Thanksliving is learning the secret of contentment. Today for Thanksgiving, I want to share with you two other quick thoughts: First, it’s about Kicking Complacency. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of [...]
contentment [the heart of thanksliving]
![contentment [the heart of thanksliving]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/contentment-150x150.jpg)
I started off yesterday asking some pretty serious questions of myself when it comes to my attitude around Thanksgiving. I want to have the right attitude, not only on Thursday, but year round. So if that’s the case, I need to be reminded of a few things that I picked up on in 1 Timothy [...]
the heart of thanksliving
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it got me wondering if I’m a pretty ungrateful person. The reason I need to pose that question is because when I reflect on my prayer life, am I the kind of person who spends a fair amount of time counting my blessings, or is it really a once [...]
joy vs. happiness
Verses like these use to trouble me: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” — James 1:2 (NIV) “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” — 1 Peter 1:6 (NIV) “Not only so, [...]
even for the little things
I am lying on my stomach on an operating table, waiting for a doctor to administer the third cortisone shot to my back. It’s one of those bulging disc / pinched nerve things. And I ask myself if I should be praying. I know what to expect: first the local anesthetic (slight pinch); then 10 [...]
book review: invitations from God
Life brings invitations. Jesus knew his spiritual journey depended upon responsiveness to God’s invitations. Although his job was the most crucial in human history, Jesus did not get compulsive, preoccupied or unable to practice the presence of God or people. In the midst of interruptions and overwhelming need, Jesus learned how to discern between invitations. [...]
serving communion
“Body of Christ broken for you.” I repeated this simple phrase as I broke off a piece of the loaf that I was serving to each who came forward to partake of the Lord’s Supper. It was our last morning together at a Laity Lodge Writer’s Retreat; a retreat that I won’t soon forget. I [...]
a re-evaluation of my time [invitations from God]
He sat in his wheel chair on the corner of Goodwin and Granite Streets as if he meant to cross. The man did not follow the other pedestrians. Across the street, I carried my book and walked fast towards Wild Iris Coffee Shop and wondered why he sat unmoving in his wheel chair on the [...]
do you read the bible at work?
I saw a comment on the company’s intranet website recently by a Muslim inquiring about observing prayer times. It made me think a bit about religious practices at work. Several years ago I ran into a co-worker at a Christian bookstore. We both stood there for a moment looking confused at each other, and saying, [...]
light the torches and lower the drawbridge…
“I want to be part of a church that wants to be part of something.” These words came from my 17-year-old daughter, Grace. These words have rattled around in my head since they were spoken. They weren’t said out of anger or spite, but frustration at the circumstances in which our family has found itself, [...]
i am afraid
“Please Lord.” I pray as I step on the scale. I expect a little gain today. I’ve plateaued, but yesterday we went out to eat. Every time I go out to eat I gain. It’s either real gain or sodium gain (which goes away the next morning), but even the sodium gain though temporary is [...]
igniting your passion for God [an interview with @mafeinberg]
![igniting your passion for God [an interview with @mafeinberg]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/group-prayer-100x100.jpg)
Here’s that word again. Community. We’ve recently talked about interpreting the Bible in community, and now we’re talking about praying in community. There seems to be something about doing things with other people that increases it’s impact. Can we pray and talk to God by ourselves? Absolutely! Have you prayed with a group of friends [...]
why we need to hear God’s voice [an interview with @mafeinberg]
![why we need to hear God's voice [an interview with @mafeinberg]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/walking-in-100x100.jpg)
What do you do when you hear God’s voice telling you to do something? Do you shrug it off? Do you pray more to ask for clarification? Or are you quick to respond and follow His guidance? In this part of the interview, Margaret Feinberg deals with the idea of what it means for us [...]
on listening to God’s voice [an interview with @mafeinberg]
![on listening to God's voice [an interview with @mafeinberg]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/listening-100x100.jpg)
There’s so much noise in the world today that it can be difficult to remember what silence sounds like. And with all of this noise, it can also be difficult to clearly hear God’s voice. Here’s the best example that I can think of to illustrate what I think ‘the noise’ looks like… I’m on [...]
how God speaks to people [an interview with @mafeinberg]
![how God speaks to people [an interview with @mafeinberg]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/genesis-100x100.jpg)
Have you ever heard the voice of God? You know, like the Charlton Heston or James Earl Jones audible voice giving you the clear direction that you’re looking for? I don’t think that I have, but I’m pretty sure that God has communicated with me in other ways. Mostly through reading the Bible, sometimes through [...]
why ‘hungry for God’? [an interview with @mafeinberg]
![why 'hungry for God'? [an interview with @mafeinberg]](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/lay-down-for-the-Lord-100x100.jpg)
I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Author/Speaker Margaret Feinberg about her new book, Hungry for God: Hearing god’s voice in the ordinary and the everyday. She’s been one of my favorite authors for a long time. And if you’re familiar with her writing, then you probably understand why. The book deals with questions like, “how [...]
[god in the yard] project wordle
![[god in the yard] project wordle](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/god-in-the-yard-wordle-100x100.png)
Hmmm… I wonder what this says about what we talked about… Amazon.com Widgets
[god in the yard] @llbarkat’s closing thoughts
![[god in the yard] @llbarkat's closing thoughts](http://bibledude.net/wp-content/uploads/falling-100x100.jpg)
Sometimes people want to know. If they were to come to my yard, would they find me out there still? Sitting on the red sled, sipping my tea? I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I want to be the writer on the red sled. Braving the mosquitoes, dodging the rain. But I’ve moved on. After [...]
