It’s Not You, It’s Timing – How to Keep Hope When Nothing’s Working
Is it just me? Sometimes disappointment, frustration, or fatigue keep banging on the door. You’ve got a project, dream, plan, but it’s stuck. You wonder: Is it me? My skills or vision? Do I lack proper education or experience? Is my heart really in it?
I read about some fisherman who may have thought the same. They worked all night with nothing to show.
Were they unskilled?
No. They were “Fisherman.”
Was the net broken?
Nope. Strong and ready.
Were they in the wrong place?
Absolutely not.
Diamonds & Pencils: Become the Hero of Your Own Story
Encouraging memes can fall flat when you’re in the middle of a firestorm. My experience is that problems or stressors rarely come alone. I’m dealing with X, but Q is spilling over, and my heart is breaking about T (and D through K).. I’m not sure I’m going to make it about P….
Do troubles wait their turn?
Love Needs “Limit” To Shine: Why We Won’t Trust God Unless He has a Last Piece of Pie
The garden of Eden taught some hard and sad lessons, including that we wouldn’t trust God without testing Him first. Parents warn their kids not to touch a hot pan, but don’t they/we ultimately want to know for ourselves?
Bieber had it right:
“I got to learn things, learn them the hard way.
Gotta see what it feels like, no matter what they say..”
(“Ill show you” Justin Bieber, Purpose album)
(Sure, some lessons we never want to learn firsthand, but maybe that’s because we saw the result in the life of another…)
Puberty of the Soul: Freedom and Choices
School years can be pretty hard. You struggle trying to be yourself, not always fitting in, puberty, pressures, crushes, bullying…. I gladly forgot it all. But decades later I felt something like growing pains, but in my spirit. Can you have spiritual puberty? If you’re feeling awkward or uncomfortable, the answer may be yes.
Everything in life grows and matures, and I believe this is true spiritually as well.
God’s Love is Deeper than our Worst…
Visit any church and listen to people sing about God’s Love–but do they know how deep it goes? Can they understand it or would they recognize it?
Love is easy when given to one who spills milk, but how about someone who spills blood? And not accidentally but purposefully?
The hard truth is God’s Love goes that deep… for the mass murderer, the child rapist, the filmer of any kind of torture….
We may think we’re decent people, innocent of such crimes, but don’t forget: your thought life is also part of the equation. Jesus said being angry with someone was like murder, and looking lustfully at someone was like having an affair (Matthew 5:21-30).
Truly no one gets into heaven on merit, but we’re all invited:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, bible)
So considering all the hate and evil in the world, not just in deed but in thought- Jesus was on the craziest Love mission ever…
Transgender God, Part 2: The Motherhood of God
In “Transgender God, Part 1: What’s in a Name,“ I shared a sensitivity with “Father” as a name for God since many have been abused by theirs. I also spoke of compassion for the #LGBTQA Community who suffer everything from name calling to persecution or death solely for their identity/love choice.
God chose the male AND female gender to express “Himself” (Genesis 1:27), and if “He” can identify with both genders, we’d do well to accept others who do the same. After all, the Royal Law is: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8), and last I checked no one wants a hard time, especially from strangers, on deeply personal matters like identity or marriage choice…
Treat others as you want to be treated, right?
This Wild Kids, Wild God series was always about sharing God’s Heart, and a precious though hidden revelation is found when reflecting on God as Mother.