Category: Uncategorized
Living in the Kingdom
In my ladies’ life group we are journeying reflectively through the Book of Luke together. We are only in chapter four and it has proven to be a vast , expansive, and rich narrative of God’s story. (The story of Simeon in chapter three still impacts me as a powerful description of a with-God life.) ...
The Contented Life
The Contented Life* Flying on a plane is one of my favorite things to do. I realize it would get old after a while, but I fly just enough to keep it exciting. That's why I was excited about my up-coming flight to Phoenix. The suitcases, the ticket counters, the take off, the view, the ...
The Muddle of Life
I have a confession….I don’t much like TV preachers. They typically proclaim a gospel that is neat and tidy where we are in control of God with our slick formulas. If you do this…God will have to do this. We are not only encouraged, but pushed into believing if you are not living victoriously, (by ...
Reckless Wonder
I continue my thoughts on wonder as I came across Isaiah 55 this morning: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than ...
A Thousand Surrenders
“The gospel is not as much about worthiness as it is about surrender. What God wants from us is not a million acts of virtue, but a million acts of surrender.” Ron Rolheiser If we were in control of our spirituality it would certainly be about our self-reliant ability to tweak our behavior, through gathering ...
Unforced Joy
Is joy a choice or an fruit? Yes. How often have we heard that “joy is a choice”? Yet how often have we tried to be joyful only to discover it only lasts and long as we are trying hard to make it so. Trying to “produce” joy through verbal confession can feel manufactured and ...
God is in Control
I heard it again this week. And it made me cringe. If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time you’ve probably heard it hundreds of times. I think it’s a Christian cop out. In discussing the state of the economy this week with someone over coffee, we lamented our personal financial situation in ...
Experiential Discipleship
I stood ourside in the forest-setting at our ladies rereat last year. We had just concluded 3 days of women meeting together expressed in laughter, singing, teaching, walking, eating, praying and all that goes into shared community. It was time to go home and as I stepped outside, the warmth of the sun, the beauty of the blue sky and ...
Receiving a Life vs. Making a Life
In continuing my thoughts on keeping in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) one of the first things, I believe, we need to get our arms around is that the Holy Spirit is always active in our lives to birth in us the life of Christ we cannot produce ourselves. We cannot by direct effort ...
A Time for Courage
“As it turns out, Advent is a time for courage. Beyond gentle images of beautiful angels, lowing cattle, and an expectant mother, we are called to be aware of the darkness in us and around us. We are encouraged not to run from these realities by hiding our heads in the sand, but to be ...
Gail Johnsen 