Category: Spiritual Formation
Practices That Keep Us Sane – Part 2
A few years ago I heard a surprising definition of the word, “circumstances”. Circumstances means “standing around”. Hmmmm. Interesting. The more I thought about it, the more I understood its meaning. Circumstances are those things that are standing so close to us they block our view of God. They crowd in until all you can ...
For the One Who is Exhausted, A Blessing
When the rhythm of the heart becomes hectic, Time takes on the strain until it breaks; Then all the unattended stress falls in On the mind like an endless, increasing weight. The light in the mind becomes dim. Things you could take in your stride before Now become laborsome events of will. Weariness ...
Leading From a Healthy Soul…and Why It Matters – Part 1
There is a part of you that no one sees; not even you. But it is real and it matters. I was raised in a non-religious home with no underpinnings of the things or reality of God. Somewhere, however, as a child I learned the childhood prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I ...
Finding Grace in Unexpected Ways
A few months ago my husband and I celebrated 37 years of marriage. Quite a feat considering where I came from: broken home and a long lineage of divorce. I am sure our marriage set some kind of Fleig family record. Yet the most incredible, miraculous thing in all this is not our longevity; it’s ...
7 Ways to Breathe Life into Your Bible Reading
With Christmas behind us, our thoughts now turn toward the New Year. You are probably like and me and love the idea of new beginnings. January 1 offers us an opportunity to draw a line and start over. We all desire a way to begin again. Typically, we look at all the ways we want ...
“NET” Talk at on the With-God Life
This week I had the privilege and honor to speak at the Northwest Ministry Annual Conference. It was a "TED Talk" format so I had exactly 5 minutes to speak. The theme was "With Jesus." (Right up my alley!) Here is the transcript from my talk: After 25 years of full-time ministry there came a ...
Recovering From Injury – Rehabilitating the Soul
After my workout at the gym one day, while doing a routine stretching exercise, I heard a snap. Immediately I felt a sharp pain in the back of my leg. I knew instantly I’d pulled my hamstring. Serious? I was being careful! I was doing everything right! How did that happen? I wanted to scream. ...
Really!? Because This Changes Everything
“Christian spirituality is not a life-project for becoming a better person. It is not about developing a so-called deeper life. We are in on it, to be sure, but we are not the subject. Nor are we the action. We get included by means of a few prepositions: God with us (Matt. 1:23), Christ in ...
When I Die, It Might Be Some Time Before I Know It
“When Dallas Willard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late summer of 2012, one of his reflections was: "I think that, when I die, it might be some time until I know it. This morning Dallas Willard passed away. I'm not sure if anyone has told him yet.” John Ortberg wrote these words in his ...
Spiritual Formation at Faith: Embracing Environments for Transformation
As the pastor of spiritual formation at Faith TriCities, I was tasked to develop a ministry strategy for a spiritual formation/discipleship process. This was not an easy thing! It forced me to look carefully at spiritual reality (not how we think it should be) and the context of church life. One thing I understood from ...
Gail Johnsen 