I often hear the argument, "I am not the kind of person who engages in spiritual practices," or "I am too busy engaging in ministry and serving others for things like prayer, reflection on Scripture or prayers of examen." I sympathize with these arguments and I struggle with them as well. However, I still argue […]

Mark Buchanan is one of my favorite writers and thinkers. He is a pastor from Canada and often writes brilliant one-liners that say more than an entire paragraph! Here is one I've been pondering this entire summer: "Endless busyness is earwax against God's voice and a blindfold to God's presence." So many of us wonder […]

One idea that has helped me with prayer more than almost any other comes from a Norwegian Christian named Ole Hallesby. In his classic book, simply called Prayer, I first encountered this idea: "Prayer is simply helplessness combined with faith." Hallesby says more to help us understand this simple, yet profound truth: "Prayer and helplessness […]

I have been noticing lately that I am much more distracted than normal. My mind seems to wander in ways that it never used to. I am having a harder time focusing on one thing for an extended period of time. And I am fairly confident this has nothing to do with turning 50 this […]

I've spent all day working on my teaching for the upcoming & Women's Conference at Orchard -- Rise and Shine Women's Retreat --  and I am just filled to overflowing right now with God's good heart toward his creatures. I am filled to overflowing with the knowledge of how much he wants for us ... and […]

This poem by Mary Oliver pretty much describes my morning: Just Rain The clouds did not say soon, but who can tell for sure, it wasn't the first time I had been fooled; the sky-doors opened and the rain began to fall upon all of us: the grass, the leaves, my face, my shoulders, and […]