How’s Your Self-Talk? I love this sign, because it’s a perfect illustration of self-talk. And even though I had been a Christian for many years, the only thing growing in my mind was weeds. Self-talk is a term frequently found in many of today’s self-help books. But back in the 1980s when I first … Read more
by Tim Tracy What Is Shame? Shame is a difficult emotion to express. You may experience it as a feeling of not being good enough, a worry that there’s something wrong with you, or an overwhelming feeling that you’re bad, dirty, or inferior. In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, social researcher Brene Brown explains, … Read more
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in … Read more
My Life Begins…In Second Grade Awhile back I was reading a devotional by Dr. David Jeremiah, when a paragraph jumped out at me: “God sends various people into our life. Some encourage us. Some rebuke us. Some help us recover. They all play a part in shaping us to be the person God wants us … Read more
Righteous? Yeah, right. What goes through your mind when you hear the word “righteous”? Do you think of someone ‘better than the rest of us’, like Mother Theresa or Billy Graham? Do you think of a standard that is unattainable in this life? Do you think of yourself? I’m guessing that last one’s not … Read more
Name That Tune My favorite Christian artist is Mandisa. She began her career in 2005 when she auditioned for the TV show “American Idol.” During her audition, she was famously insulted for her weight by Simon Powell. Later she confronted him and publicly forgave him, after which he apologized for his snarky remarks. Mandisa finished … Read more
What’s In A Name? Within the pages of the Bible is a short book, only four chapters long, and it describes one of the most famous romances of all time. Its author is unnamed, though most scholars attribute it to the prophet Samuel, because it is set in the days of the Judges. If you … Read more
Time To Tidy Up Ah, Spring! The season for warmer weather, increased sunshine, and new growth. Time to throw open the windows and fill the house with fresh air. Time to get the garden ready. Time for that annual (and sometimes dreaded) event: Spring cleaning! There are many reasons to do this beyond … Read more
Stop The World, I Wanna Get Off! Have you ever felt like that? I know I have. For much of my life I was a workaholic, following my dad’s example. I was working six days a week (in a Christian ministry, no less). My one day “off” was Sunday– but I spent most Sundays teaching … Read more
Next Stop: The Desert Did you know that the word “wilderness” occurs nearly 300 times in the Bible? Many people in the Bible had a wilderness experience– Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, just to name a few. And if you’re a Christian, sooner or later you’ll find yourself there also. You may wonder, “Why the wilderness? … Read more