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A New Normal: Finding Life amidst Chronic Illness
Four-and-a-half years ago an autoimmune condition slipped into my system. Like Troy’s Trojan horse, it unleashed a stealth attack. And the battle that ensued left me battling bouts of exhaustion and extreme fatigue. When our bodies don’t work like we want them to, we’re often left searching for a new normal. Yet as we embrace the journey, we learn to acknowledge our humanness, rest in God’s presence, and ultimately find new life. Listen Deeply: It requires attentiveness to acknowledge the changing needs within us. We may notice our need for more sleep, cravings for solitude, or longings for better health. And only as we pay attention, can we…
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23 Books Reviewed in 23 Minutes
“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition” – Henry Miller. Here is my exhaustive review of all but one of the books I read in 2014. Skim the list to see if something piques your interest. Peruse as you please. Skip what does not interest you. For my reading list reviews for the past few years click on any of the following: 2011, 2012, or 2013. Now here we go, set your timer to 23 minutes. Go! 1. “Save Me From Myself” subtitled “How I found God, quit…
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Fixing Busy!
Every Spring and Fall my wife and I gear up for our kid’s soccer season and by “gearing up” I mean we get our calendars out and start moving our life schedules around to accommodate practice and game schedules. The schedule is ultimately exhausting and it kicks our tails! My question is this: If you have kids who are in competitive, club or select sports or multiple sports – How do you do it? Here’s why I ask, because my wife and I have noticed that every soccer season, we experience a real lack of communication, family togetherness and intimacy. Perhaps it’s a combination of work and personal schedules that…
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Are You Taking Time Off?
Jesus said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat). So they went away by themselves in a boat to some remote place (Mark 6:31–32). I just returned from the first two-week vacation that I’ve taken since I was a kid living with my parents. It came on the heels of finishing the latest issue of the magazine I edit, which has a fall theme devoted to “Rest.” I’ve conducted lots of interviews and read statistics on the subject lately, and I’ve been trying to apply what I’ve learned. We…
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Celebration Sabbath!
My childhood friend Nancy was forbidden to participate in a number of activities on Sunday because her parents felt that Sunday was the Christian Sabbath, purposed for focusing on God. Recently, I read a similar comment about not participating in anything on Sunday that isn't centered on Christ, including family activities. I love the zeal and heartfelt desire to please God that these restrictions represent, but I wonder–isn’t there something in this perspective that misses God’s heart for people? On the other hand, in fleeing from legalism have the rest of us lost the benefits of the sabbath commands? Do we miss any focus on Christ in the midst of…
