Weekend Wisdom / Living with Open Hands

The first thing generosity brings to mind is giving — giving of time, or money. Talking about giving in church is notoriously awkward.  The conversation is usually laced with oughts and shoulds, and focuses on obligation and obedience. But that’s a stunning misunderstanding of the point.  Our attitude toward giving is a direct window into our […]

Hey busy person, how do you remember God?

Did you ever tie a string around your finger to remember something? Not sure why, but that was a common solution in books I read as a child. I tried it once. All I got was a purple finger. Since childhood I’ve been distractable. Maybe it’s undiagnosed ADD, or just the fruit of a very […]

Weekend Wisdom / Living Like There’s More

Every decision you make passes through the same filter.  How you relate to money and time, how you treat the people around you, even your family.  The way you deal with people you disagree with.  Your response in these situations is filtered through your core sense of generosity.  Your level of generosity comes from a perspective […]

An Apprenticeship with Jesus: Something More than a Relationship with God

I grew up in the church, and did all the church things you do when church is your natural habitat. Church school through 8th grade. Attended and later worked at Christian summer camps. Countless VBS’s, sermons, prayer meetings, and discipleship classes. I don’t share that to brag. I learned lots of ideas about God and […]

What is Perspective? The 1 Thing That Can Change Your Experience.

We were only the second family to set-up at the camp ground for our Memorial Day weekend camping trip. We arrived on Wednesday. For two-and-a-half glorious days it was just us and the trees and the little stream. Well, and the elderly camp hosts, and a distant neighbor. Then around lunchtime on Friday everything changed. […]

Feeling Shame? Don’t Hide.

When something terrible happens to you, or when you’re facing some brokenness or addiction in your life. Whether something was done to you, or you did something, the common denominator is shame. It’s that twisted knot in your gut saying that you will be judged, shunned, looked down on. Shame says you are right to be […]

How to journal for spiritual growth.

I can tell pretty quickly if someone is serious about growing. Lots of people want to grow. They desire a different or better life in some way. Maybe they are in recovery or are looking for a spiritual mentor. Maybe they had an incredible experience at a retreat or camp that filled them with motivation to […]

The Painful Door to Growth: Vulnerability

A precious friend of mine is hurting. She’s aching at the loss of some friendships. Her marriage is dry and sometimes lonely. She’s been in the slow, sticky fight with depression. She’s working hard on all of it. Counseling, mentoring, medication, prayer. But it’s all so hard. She wants to be seen and loved. She […]

Are you afraid of growing?

I was sitting in a booth at Panera with a friend, talking through the branding for an online course I’m developing. In fact, it was the same booth I’m sitting in now as I write this, months later. We were discussing the tag line of the course. He was hung up on one of the […]

Is your religion feeding you or is it just knife skills?

I was juggling the preparations for a Bar-B-Que. Onions and mushrooms were caramelizing on the stove top. On the grill, Burgers were starting to cook. I was bouncing between setting out the sides, rooting out long forgotten condiments from the back corners of the fridge, and cutting tomatoes. Just then, my ever-hungry 6 year-old walked […]

Weekend Wisdom / Share What You’ve Been Given

The power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.  God’s plan is to work through you in the work to bring new life where there is death, healing where there is brokenness.  But how do we participate in that?  Does it require special training? Special skills?  No.  It’s much simpler than you think. […]

Thinking about death? Your should be. Here’s why.

The grey spring clouds were breaking slightly letting mottled sunlight spread across the grass. I was leaning against a chain-link fence, looking at a dirty patch. That grass in that spot was really a patchwork of sod, each piece freshly plugged back into its location on top of freshly turned dirt marking the last resting […]

Weekend Wisdom / Part of a Resurrection Community

It’s Easter!  Because of what happened 200 generations ago, everything has changed.  Frequently in church world, we talk about what Easter means for you as an individual.  A second chance, forgiveness, reconciliation with God, the promise of life after death.  But there’s another aspect that matters. Easter isn’t just about you!  The resurrection created a resurrection […]

How to Handle the Hard Times

Took a trip to the DMV last week. Waited for a long time… a really, long time. When I finally got my chance to stand at the counter, I presented my carefully filled-out paperwork. The guy at the counter slowly flipped through my documents, and mused, “Oh…” Long pause. “We’ve got a problem here.” A […]

Your Invitation? To Live Fully Awake.

Some mornings look like this: I slide out of bed with a sense of expectation. A shower clears my head. A walk on the treadmill gets the blood and oxygen moving. The day comes at me in whatever shape it happens, but I’m present and aware. I’m able to make choices that align with who […]