In John 15:12-13 Jesus says to His disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (NKJV) Of course, we know that Jesus laid down His life for us and chose to die on a cross so men could be saved from the penalty of sin, which is eternal separation from God the Father. He literally laid down His life. Is He saying that we are to do that, too? And, apart from the brave men and women who put their lives on the line in active duty…

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV) This has long been a favorite scripture of mine. And I’m grateful to be able to come to it again and again when I need to recalibrate. By the grace of God, I “know” trusting Him and acknowledging Him is not just crucial but actually singularly foundational to a purposeful journey in Christ. But there are still times when I act like I don’t really “believe” it. In other words, I still do a fair amount of leaning on…

Have you ever felt like you were just going through the motions? Ever felt less than authentic? Insignificant? In this life, we are often distracted, discouraged, even disillusioned by the world view of what is acceptable, what qualifies as success, or what we think others expect of us. We can become weary of accomplishing daily tasks in order to live up to a standard set by other people and lose sight of the reality that we were created to live alive unto God. What do I mean by “alive unto God”? I think it’s a little like being aware of someone you know very well who has just walked into…

I spent two days this weekend helping a friend who lives in another city stage her home for a moving sale. She’s a single mother of four who is now an empty nester, making a significant move out of state, and starting a new job. She decided it was time for a “clean slate.” After 18 hours of culling, sorting, trashing, stacking, shifting and staging, we were completely spent but sufficiently satisfied that doors could be opened to the public next weekend with hope for a maximum return on our investment. The job was physically grueling, and the temperature was in the 90s with high humidity. I’m sure I don’t…

The night is dark, but as the Earth turns, the light of the Sun chases the dark away. This is what we call a sunrise. Of course, we know that the Sun is set in space, and it is the Earth that is rotating. Yet, the coming of the day is heralded by the “rising” of the Sun because we do not feel the Earth spinning. We only see the Sun brimming above the horizon. Light breaks in. Night turns to day. I am generally awake before the darkness begins to fade, and I have long appreciated those first conscious thoughts as being the expression of my true self. I…