August 23 We were made for another world and until Jesus returns, we can’t help but ache for it. C.S. Lewis called that longing sehnsucht (and I write a lot about it). But there’s another part of us that longs for this world, and it’s why James had to write: What causes quarrels and what … Continue reading The Opposite of Sehnsucht
August 16 The start of a schoolyear has always been my favorite time to readjust old writing habits and invest in something that will sharpen me. I've taken classes, joined communities, read books, and attended seminars. But there are two writing resources I come back to again and again. These classes and communities have sharpened … Continue reading My Very Favorite Writing Resources
Have you ever tried to fit some of the ocean into your hand? How about all of it? Can you measure the sky in miles? Can you weigh the Rocky Mountains? Could you even put the Ozark hills on a scale? Do you tell God’s Spirit where to go or what to do? Does God … Continue reading I’m Glad I Can’t Hold the Ocean
Good writers are good pruners. They know when to pick up the shears and how much to chop. William Zinsser taught me that. “Be grateful for everything you can throw away. Reexamine every word you put on paper. Is every word doing new work? …Is anything pompous or pretentious or faddish? Are you hanging onto … Continue reading On Writing, Weeding, and Walking in the Light
August 2 Before he was betrayed and driven to the cross, Jesus spent time praying for you. “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” “Holy Father, keep them in your name…” “While I was with them, I kept … Continue reading Be Encouraged: You Are Kept
A few good, good things from this month... Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen I enjoyed this classic more than I thought I could. Austen's characters pulled me in and kept me turning pages of this story. Especially Elizabeth Bennett. Have you read it? Let's talk more in the comments below. (I listened to the … Continue reading July Smiles
July 19 Jesus stands as our example of holy anger that loves, restores, and worships. Cain's anger hated and killed. The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at … Continue reading Let Jesus In and Be Like Him
July 12 “God intends for the whole world to be able to praise him. He intends for Zion to set an example of faithfulness for the rest of the world. Zion cannot do this when evil persons corrupt others.”[i] Bleating sheep and bellowing salesmen swarmed the temple. But really? God's house was empty. In the … Continue reading Jesus’ Anger Gathers and Glorifies
July 5 Angry, Cain slaughtered his brother (Gen. 4:8). Furious, Herod killed every Bethlehemite boy (Matt. 2:16). Filled with resentment, Hitler obliterated six million Jews.[i] When hatred fuels anger, it sheds blood and sets fire. It’s a Boeing aircraft in the side of a burning, crumbling World Trade Center. It destroys. And it doesn’t have … Continue reading Jesus’ Anger Restores
This article was written for and published on TheRebelution blog. My friendship with Sara Barratt is 100% virtual. We’ve never talked over coffee or met up at a conference or worshiped together in church. I met Sara in the Young Writer’s Workshop—a place where everyone shares a thrill for stories, words, articles, novels, and poems. … Continue reading The Girl Who Started a Love Riot for Jesus
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