Spiritual Applications of Not Being Able to Run a Marathon
A note about this blog: October 25, 2015, is the date when I had hoped to run my second marathon. Around this time last year, after completing my first marathon, I wrote a blog entitled “Spiritual Applications of Running a Marathon.” Well, after receiving some news about a stress fracture [10 weeks ago] that would prevent me from running not only the October 25 marathon (or any other fall marathon—or running at all since receiving that news), I thought it would be only appropriate to write a follow-up blog entitled, “Spiritual Applications of Not Being Able to Run a Marathon.” When walking...
Read MoreLoving Well Through Saying No
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of telling someone no? Do you think it is selfish? Are you concerned about hurting another’s feelings or disappointing him or her? Are you worried that the person will get mad? Instead of saying no, do you think, “I should be able to do this… I have the time…. So and so does it…” The list goes on and on. Saying no is not an easy thing to do. In fact, it can be quite challenging. We live in a culture where we’re expected to be able to do “just one more thing” and squeeze something else into our frantic, busy schedules. At times we...
Read MoreWe Can Honestly Pray
There is much to be said about prayer in Scripture. We are told to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:16). What happens, though, when our emotions are churning and we do not feel like praying—or at least not like “giving thanks”? Often we may hear prayer described in such a way that we think we must use “flowery” language or make it “neat.” Instead of honest, gut-wrenching emotion, prayer becomes a half-truth of what is really going in the heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can...
Read MoreLook at the Wildflowers
Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People “All creation is meant to be a finger pointing us to ultimate glory, the only glory that can ever satisfy the human heart, the glory of God” (Paul David Tripp in Dangerous Calling, page 48). Several years ago, I was reading Matthew 6:25-34, needing to be reminded of the promise that God cares for us and knows what we need all the time—especially in the midst of anxiety. I had spent two years of my life overseas, and it was time to return back to the United States. I had...
Read MoreCan Suffering Blind Us?
What does it mean when something blinds us? Webster defines blind (in the verb form) as (1) cause of (someone) being unable to see, permanently or temporarily; (2) to deprive (someone) of understanding, judgment, or perception. Blindness brings with it an inability to see. Scripture is clear that sin can blind us. Sin may blind us in two ways. First, the Lord may blind hearts to sin (Lam. 4:14, 2 Cor. 4:4; John 3:19-20; John 12:39-40). The life of Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar are examples of this type of blindness. A second type of blindness results when someone continues to follow in sin. The...
Read MoreThe Who in Waiting
Counselors Reflect on Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp A Series to Care for the Care Takers of God’s People “The longer we have time to think about what we are waiting for, the longer we have time to consider how we have no ability to deliver it; and the longer we have to let ourselves wonder why we have been selected to wait, the more our faith weakens. But not so with Abraham. We’re told in this passage [Romans 4] that during this time of protracted waiting, his faith actually grew stronger, and the passage tells us why. Rather than meditating on the impossibility of his situation, Abraham...
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