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...
Suffering
Topics On
Abuse
Addiction
Anger
Anxiety
Body Image
Boundaries
Calling
Character
Communication
Community
Comparison
Conflict
Counseling Session Prep
Death
Depression
Disappointment
Eating Disorders
Forgiveness
Grief & Loss
Identity
Infidelity
Lust
Marriage
Ministry
Miscarriage
Parenting
Perfectionism
Prayer
Pride
Relationships
Repentance
Rest
Shame
Sin
Singleness
Spiritual Disciplines
Suffering
Technology
Trauma
Women
Addiction
Anger
Anxiety
Body Image
Boundaries
Calling
Character
Communication
Community
Comparison
Conflict
Counseling Session Prep
Death
Depression
Disappointment
Eating Disorders
Forgiveness
Grief & Loss
Identity
Infidelity
Lust
Marriage
Ministry
Miscarriage
Parenting
Perfectionism
Prayer
Pride
Relationships
Repentance
Rest
Shame
Sin
Singleness
Spiritual Disciplines
Suffering
Technology
Trauma
Women
The Purpose of Scars
John 20:24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the...
Can 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...
Limping Together to the Table: A Reflection on ‘Grotesque Broken-ness’
In Spike Lee’s 2002 movie ‘The 25th Hour’ Edward Norton stars as a New York kingpin, who is convicted for drug distribution. The film follows Norton’s character Monty as he spends his last 24 hours before reporting for his 7 year prison sentence. In this last day,...
Some Spiritual Applications of Running a Marathon
On November 15, 2014, I had the opportunity of running my first marathon. On that chilly morning of November 15 as I lined up with everyone else who trained for several months leading up to the same goal—completing 26.2 miles—I felt a commonality among us....
Conformity to Christ: It’s An Inside Job
If conformity to Christ requires us to face our own tendencies toward idolatry, then how does facing personal idolatry relate to spiritual disciplines, suffering, and community? “God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery,...
The Holiday Blues
It’s inevitable for most people. We break out of the routine and spend lots of time doing little more than anticipating and preparing for the biggest holiday in our culture. Some of us get energized (and rightfully so. It does celebrate the birth of Jesus and a...
Healthy Ways to Capture Memories
In the end, grief is about how we remember. Memory is powerful. It shapes our lives in many ways. Memory impacts our emotions. Memory shapes the significance we give to current events. Memory influences what we expect from the future. So the effort to grieve well...
Thoughts on “Shame Interrupted: How God Lifts the Pain of Worthlessness and Rejection”
Your dad says he’ll pick you up Friday afternoon and the two of you will go camping for the weekend. You don’t see him much because your parents are divorced and you live with your mom. The thought of your dad taking you camping feels so great. In fact, it makes...