Over the past couple of days, we’ve been reflecting on Psalm 62 and the practice of cultivating a little silence in our lives. The author and philosopher Ryan Holiday, has been really influential in helping me think about this. He argues fairly strongly about the importance of intentionally cultivating silence in our lives. He makes […]
Psalm 62 declares, “For God alone, my soul waits in silence…” I remember quite a number of years ago, my wife Robbie took a class at Memorial Presbyterian Church on Christian mediation. It was taught by our friend Marc Craddock. After a really basic introduction, Marc asked them to sit in silence for five minutes. […]
Psalm 62 is a confession of faith. Twice within just a few verses, the psalmist testifies: For God alone, my soul waits… He alone is my rock and my salvation… my fortress; I shall never be shaken. That is a profound statement of trust. And yet, at the same time, there is realism. There is […]
A number of years ago, I listened to a TED talk given by Ron Gutman who is an inventor, investor, and healthcare entrepreneur. Ron reviewed a host of studies about smiling and shared some amazing findings. Did you know that even when you are not happy, a simple smile will make you feel better? In […]
Sometime back in a Daily Walk devotional, there was an interesting list within a message titled, “How to be Miserable.” Sounds like good reading doesn’t it? Here’s part of the list: “Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use “I” as often as possible. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive […]
Sometime back, a friend was telling me about the summer after his father’s retirement party. His dad had held a prominent position with a big corporation, and that first summer he just went into this deep depression. My friend said it was like his dad woke up one morning and he realized he was no […]
Yesterday, we reflected on Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 7. He writes, “Brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short…” Paul and the early church expected Jesus to return at any moment. The truth is: We don’t know how long we have. Whether Jesus comes back today, tomorrow, in 500 or even […]
In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 7, the Apostle Paul writes, “Brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short…For the present form of this world is passing away.” (See 1 Corinthians 7:29-31) This letter is rich. In this same letter, we have that great passage that is often read at weddings: Love […]
Some time ago, a friend told me that she has a great aunt who won’t go to church anymore. She went through a terrible divorce and she feels she is no longer worthy to be in worship. Because she is unable to forgive herself, she is unable to believe God forgives her. I felt sad […]
Pastor Bill Bouknight tells the story of a prominent minister who was holding a weekend seminar at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. He kept noticing a man in the front row nodding off, and this aggravated him. He wondered why the man didn’t stay home if he couldn’t stay awake. During the lunch break, a woman […]
