Last night my younger daughter, Jamie, prepared dinner at our house. The entire dinner was Japanese. (She spent over a month in Japan as a part of a study abroad semester. During this month, she lived with a wonderful Japanese family.) She wanted to prepare the kind of food that she might eat at her… Continue reading Savoring Every Bite
Category: Spiritual Disciplines
Waiting
Richard Foster, who for many years has worked with Renovare, has written about waiting. Foster is the author of several good works related to spiritual formation including Spiritual Disciplines, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, and Life with God. Foster writes: Waiting! It is among the most universal of human experiences. Waiting to begin school.… Continue reading Waiting
In Desperate Need of Sabbath
I first heard Gordon MacDonald speak about the importance of "Sabbath" in his book Ordering Your Private World. He spoke of the importance of Sabbath and rest. Specifically, he spoke of the importance of having a "Sabbath," as a part of a rhythm to one’s life, where there is regular rest and reflection. Many of… Continue reading In Desperate Need of Sabbath
What God-Hungry People Need
I will always be grateful to Gordon MacDonald. It was a number of years ago. We were living in Florence, Alabama, at the time and working with a church. It was tough work. I recall feeling much pressure. There was so much to do and so many people with many, many needs. For… Continue reading What God-Hungry People Need
Reflecting on Your Life
If I were to look at a DVD of my life, what would I see? What would I see on video on the screen in front of me? Now that is personal. I suspect, if your life is normal, you would see a variety of behaviors, thoughts, motives. You might see a moment that makes… Continue reading Reflecting on Your Life
Begin with Emptiness
In a recent issue of "Heart-to-Heart" (published by Richard Foster’s Renovare ministry), Foster and Christopher Webb discuss the book Deep-Rooted in Christ: The Way of Transformation by Joshua Choonmin Kang. The following is from the discussion: If I had to pick out one aspect of this book that will probably stay in my mind for… Continue reading Begin with Emptiness
Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 4)
(You might enjoy reading part 1 here, part 2 here and part 3 here.) How Does a Person Keep a Journal? Having a definite time each day for writing in the journal can be very helpful. For me, that time is early in the morning before Charlotte (and Jamie if she is home from college)… Continue reading Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 4)
Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 3)
(You can read part 1 here and part 2 here.) Journaling can be very helpful to a believer’s walk with God. I have kept a journal for many years and have been blessed in many ways through this discipline. I mentioned in the last post a few of the practical advantages of keeping a journal. … Continue reading Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 3)
Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 2)
One of the most inspirational journals I have read is The Journal of John Wesley. One of Wesley’s most memorable entries is dated Tuesday, January 24, 1738. He was aboard a small ship returning to England in the midst of a terrible storm. Afraid that he would die, he wrote the following: I went to… Continue reading Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 2)
Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 1)
In her book Gift from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindberg writes, "I begin these pages for myself, in order to think out my own particular pattern of living, my individual balance of life, work, and human relationships. And since I think best with a pencil in my hand, I started to write…" She describes the… Continue reading Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline (Part 1)