divine gps
Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology has changed the way we get from one place to another. All I need to do is type in an address and my GPS device guides me to my destination.
dark and quiet
Gordon Hempton is one of the world’s few acoustic ecologists. He travels the world recording what he calls “the last quiet places,” places completely untouched by modern human sound. Hempton records remote locations on the other side of the world as well as nearby wonders, such as the sound of the tide washing over a piece of spruce driftwood in a national park. He describes silence not as the lack of noise (there is no such thing, the earth itself emits sound), but rather as presence (the capacity to be fully attentive to the space where you are).
the Lord is my Pacesetter
The year 2013 had hardly begun before I felt as if I needed a vacation. A house renovation, a book launch, a trip to Ethiopia, and two speaking trips to Australia had left the year with little free space. In the midst of the busyness, I picked up a book one night and found this delightful paraphrase of Psalm 23:1-6 by Japanese poet Toki Miyashina:
make the time
Are you busy? We can easily become overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that loom over us on any given day. We have calendar apps, appointment reminders, and handy lists to keep us organized. I enjoy finding new ways to use my time wisely and stay on task, but I have to be careful not to put my trust in my plans over the One who holds the plan. More importantly, I need to understand that while life often “just happens,” I must approach it with intentionality.
a time to speak
I just don’t know what you want,” he said in exasperation. “Well, if you don’t know after all these years, I guess you never will!” she replied bitterly. “If I do something, you question my motives,” he responded defensively. “If I don’t do anything, you blame me for not trying.” “I’d rather you do something and do it wrong than not do anything,” she said.
what should i do?
One of my favorite books on writing is Writing for the Soul by Jerry Jenkins. In his book Jerry gives some excellent advice for Christian writers. For example, “We can’t write for other people’s souls unless ours are healthy.” Or how about this gem: “No writer ever arrives.” Jerry also advises, “Allow yourself to be moved, and write what moves you.”…
you choose Q: Is God concerned and involved in who we choose to marry?
Q: Is God concerned and involved in our choice of marriage? —Olabisi
A: Yes, God is concerned about who we choose to marry. The Bible clearly states that God wants us to marry someone of the opposite sex who shares our same faith (Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:14-16). He desires for us to pick a mate whose primary allegiance is to…
good-bye egypt
The Hebrews’ life was literally changed overnight. For generations they had been slaves in Egypt—born as slaves, raised as slaves, and died as slaves. It was beyond their wildest imagination that they would ever be set free.
Now 2 million of them were traversing out of Egypt to a new land. But the exhilaration of their newfound freedom and status…
sydnie & me
Last year I went through a bone marrow transplant (BMT). By God’s grace, I didn’t go it alone. Family and friends walked with me through the procedure and subsequent months of recovery. But there was someone else who shared the journey—Sydnie. This precious little girl, a daughter of friends of ours, needed to have a BMT at the same time…
prayer for the sheep
The Psalms are diverse prayers. The Psalter (the name for all the Psalms collected together) is a prayer and song book. Whatever we learn from a psalm, whatever questions raised or answers given—we must never forget that it is first a prayer. It contains intimate words spoken to God.
Psalms have been prayed to God for thousands of years. Israel prayed…
the Guide who is here
A story is told about a man who traveled to a foreign city. He checked in to his hotel late at night and—being more than just a little hungry—went out to find a restaurant where he could get something to eat. He found himself in a pretty shabby looking sandwich shop in a rundown part of the city. After taking…
don't give up
Sometimes we get ALL the way off track and sometimes we only have two wheels on the track, but looking at today . . . NO matter what it looks like God can show us the way and deliver whatever your need is. He hears you. He protects us in our seasons and we have His blood to back it…
navigator in focus
I like this picture. It was taken in our backyard last fall. It’s a beautiful landscape, a pond surrounded by trees in the late hues of autumn. It’s a scene I fell in love with the first time we saw this house. But it’s not a picture of that landscape. No one would mistake it for such. In the picture,…
plan B
As a fisherman on Lake Michigan (one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes), I’ve had to change my plans on many occasions. Stormy weather or high waves have forced me to resort to a Plan B: either canceling the trip or limiting my fishing to the safer waters of a harbor or smaller inland lake. It’s not the end of…
the Good Shepherd
When I was in high school, my parents took our family to Israel. The collision of histories, sights, languages, and beliefs stretched my world.
Shepherding is still an important way of life in Israel. It’s common to see a shepherd taking his flock from one place to another. However, unlike the sheep herding I had seen back home in Texas…
