I went through an awful season some years back. I needed some answers from God Himself — it was one of those “crisis of belief” times that Henry Blackaby so eloquently talked about in “Experiencing God.” This blog deals with that.
You can’t be a cynic and a Christian.
I know a drowning man who not only won’t reach for a lifesaver but isn’t content until he drowns someone else along with him.
Get up, and do the next thing.
I thought of a name for my autobiography, if I ever decide to write it: Well, That Didn’t Work. My life is full of things that didn’t go the way I’d wanted or planned.
What do you do when God doesn’t fix things?
There are lots of things I wasn’t aware of when I became a Christian. My faith was shallow, because I was just a baby in the faith. I didn’t know there were times when God doesn’t fix things. I thought if I prayed just the right kind of prayers and believed, then everything would go my way.
The solution to every problem you have.
Here’s what is true. You are carrying a burden that gnaws at your mind and heart.
The first dead person I ever saw.
Papa Wilson, my grandfather, died when I was eight years old. This was in 1964. I don’t remember many details about his actual death, but I do remember that he was 84 when he died. I thought that was positively ancient.
The gate of the year, 2024
“The Gate of the Year” is the popular name of a poem by Minnie Louise Haskins. She titled it “God Knows.” This will give you comfort and encouragement as we face 2024.
Being whole.
Thoughts that lead to brokenness are the devil’s way of blocking what God wants you to know about who you are in Christ.
Pa-rum-pa-pum-pum.
I’ll start with a confessional. Sometimes, Christmas music gets on my nerves. But before you call the grinch squad on me, I’ll explain. And I will use The Little Drummer Boy as a jumping off place.
Does Jesus lead or follow?
The way we deal with uncertainty says a lot about whether Jesus is ahead of us leading or if we’ve put Him behind us to carry our stuff.
Embrace suffering. Keep smiling.
We often view success and good fortune as milestones, markers that indicate we’re moving in the right direction. But let’s flip the script for a second. Pain and suffering can be just as transformative, if not more so.
The Danger of Over-spiritualizing Mental Health
I see a trend in the Church that troubles me. The response of much of the Church to mental illness is to over-spiritualize both the problems and the solutions.