One of the best gifts we can give each other is the acknowledgment that each of us is answerable to God first and foremost. Imposing our opinion shuts down a relationship. Listening with an open heart keeps it open. We may disagree with someone’s perspective, opinion, decisions, or beliefs, but when we realize that God…
For the past 12 years, I’ve followed the blog of a retired gentleman who turned a cancer diagnosis into an adventure. On the day he finished his chemo treatments in 2003, he bought a motorhome and set out on an adventure that would last 15 more years. He started a blog to keep his family and…
I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,Over mountain, or plain, or sea.I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord.I’ll be what You want me to be. It’s been years since I’ve heard this song. But for the last number of days, I’ve been humming it over and over again. I’ve…
I’ve always thought of boundaries in relationships as drawing a line to keep unhealthy behavior at bay. You know, such as needed for an abusive spouse or a friend who keeps infringing on your time and space. So when I got to the “Boundaries and God” chapter in Cloud’s and Townsend’s book Boundaries, I was…
A mentor once introduced me to a simple diagram which has brought me much clarity in living a more balanced life and having healthier relationships. It helps us know when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” Most importantly, it puts God in His rightful place, resulting in freedom to live a fulfilling and…
“If your life were a sentence, how would it read? That is, if you simmered down your entire life into one short statement, just two clauses with a conjunction in the middle, what would it be?” When I read this question in Kari Patterson’s book Sacred Mundane: How to Find Freedom, Purpose, and Joy, I…
