The Impetuous Voice of Regret//The Power of What If

We've all asked ourselves this question... "What if...?" Often when reflecting on the past, this question comes as an inquisitive, often uninvited, visitor and I've learned to entertain its curiosity. A "what if" is a powerful thing. When they're used to torment us to despair and shame, it can tear us down quickly. But much …

Future Glory

Pain produces a peculiar glory, one of which we may not see until we are with our savior in paradise.

Is Dating Redeemable?

"We are all looking to be loved. We all have an inkling of the hopeless romantic in us, and we all want someone to do life with...But when it comes time to pursue...well intended lovers of Jesus (on both sides) are clueless... when it comes time to pursue a woman, or how to react when they, the woman, are being pursued by a man....If we pursued clarity over intimacy, Christian dating would be less broken."

BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN

The scene had been set. The undesirable sinner walked toward the home of her prestigious accusers. The Carpenter teaching the ways of the Father speaks to the prominent men. Laughing, learning, teaching, hearing. Then all voices stand silent at the unpredicted staggering sight before them, The woman walks into the room... The weight of shame prevented …

The Power of Hope

In fighting despondency, hope is your greatest weapon. Since the fall of man (Gen. 3), we have been hard wired to find our hope in everything but God. These are temporary joys, broken cisterns, and not true joy. This produces false hope. Being followers of Jesus, we know the ultimate source of true joy. There is …

O, To Be An Alabaster Jar

https://youtu.be/zJsLcwScEDA I long to have a passion for Jesus that resonates Him and Him alone. Despondency and fear are a double edged sword used by the enemy that easily masks and tears away at that desire, and anyone who has ever experienced the weight of fear knows that it is a damaging emotion that quickly …

New Year’s Resolution 1: Drawing Near with Confidence to the Throne of Grace

Wow! 2016 is here! My how time flies. Typically I don't do the whole new year's resolution thing, but I read a post by The Rend Collective a few weeks ago that went like this: So tempting to make self-improvement our new year's resolution but what we need is SELF-SACRIFICE. Don't give up a habit- give …

The Art of Celebration

Blame. Shame. Fear. Guilt. Condemnation. They do not define you. They do not control you. They are not your identity. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you …

Handyman Special

I dabble in carpentry. Sometimes I end up with a sturdy, beautiful, new piece of furniture. Sometimes I end up with a pile of chopped up wood. But I digress! In carpentry and most other "maker" activities, there is an end vision for your product. You are taking a stack of wood, a canvas/paint, clay, …

Preaching to Myself

We must learn to fight despondency. The fight is a fight of faith in future grace. It is fought by preaching truth to ourselves about God and his promised future. Piper, Future Grace My greatest battle as of late is the battle against despondency. Despondency is defined as: a state of low spirits caused by loss …