She peeks around the corner to see if I?m up and drinking my coffee with the paper. If I?m lucky, I catch her in the act (but I always act like I didn?t see her). If I?m not lucky, in just a few minutes I?ll be either screaming like a girl or spitting hot coffee […]
Lasting Work
Jn 6:27-29 NRSV, ?Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.? Then they said to him, ?What must we do to perform the works of […]
A Heartfelt Prayer: Eyes Off Myself
Most days I begin by journaling. Here is a prayer from my journal. It is good for us as leaders to be open to God about our shortcomings. It is also good to remind ourselves who he is, to tell him how we feel about him.? Good morning, Lord. I realize as I begin my […]
The Practice of Spiritual Reading
I?ve mentioned before that I love reading letters of spiritual direction from godly men and women of the past. The quotation below comes from a collection of letters by Jacques-Benigne Bossuet (1627-1704). He was a contemporary of Francois Fenelon (1651-1715) and Madame Guyon (1648-1717), two writers whose works have helped me. Bossuet opposed them because […]
Living a Life of Delight
Ps 37:3-4 NRSV, ?Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord,?and he will give you the desires of your heart.? Trust in the Lord. Do good. It?s not an ?either/or? but both. A trusting heart and hands that do good work […]
Secure Your Oxygen Mask First
?The emphasis upon inner development, when fully considered, turns out to be the most unselfish of enterprises, because, as we live for one another, the best we can give is ourselves. A man has made a step toward a genuine maturity when he realizes that, though he ought to perform kind and just acts, the […]
Suffering: Does it Lead to Wisdom?
?I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable.? (Anne Morrow Lindbergh) Such truth. The process about which Lindbergh speaks takes time. Each word she uses (mourning, […]
