I can be my own worst enemy when it comes to progress in the spiritual life. I have great intentions, but the follow through is sometimes lacking. And then when I do follow through, I can struggle with consistency. For …
If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. – Psalm 34:18 MSG I think it has been a long, hard winter. Though we haven’t had much …
As a young man, my army chaplain father told me a true story about 672 men who perished in the middle of the night during World War II. On January 23, 1943, the SS Dorchester departed New York City harbor, …
“I’m the most Buddhist person I know.” A college student said this to me, and I knew in my heart I had chosen the wrong person to share Jesus with. “I’m the most Buddhist person I know,” he said. “In …
By Brian Jennings, author of Dancing in No Man’s Land: Moving with Peace and Truth in a Hostile World (NavPress 2018) There are times when the path in front of us looks daunting because of the resistance we face. When …
I wish things were simple. I wish that difficult problems could all be easily resolved through sincere determination to obey God, regular time in His Word, and fervent prayer. In a sense, they can. The heart that is single-minded in …
When your friend suffers there’s a lot you can do to help, even if you think you don’t know what to say. Life has rough edges that cut deeply. The fabric of human existence is riddled with the dark stain of suffering. …
I remember towards the end of a semester long study abroad trip in college when I read the beginning of John 13. Not the well-read section on Jesus washing the disciples’ feet but the very first verse that introduces why …
The writer and teacher Father Richard Rohr referred to contemplation as the lost tradition in Christianity. Contemplation is a radically simple yet perpetually elusive spiritual practice. It is the practice of focusing one’s life on God in the here and …
Over the course of our marriage, we’ve identified some helpful strategies for dealing with the conflicts we face. Sometimes we pray and try to determine what caused us to continue to be combative in our speech. From our experiences, we’ve …