Imagine a love with no strings attached. No expectations. No disappointments. No conditions. What would that look like? We get a glimpse of this kind of love during the most painful and unjust nights in history: the night Jesus was betrayed. It was a long-standing friendship–they went way back. Jesus had called him, hand picked him to be by his …
The Audacity of Grace in My Life, Part 2
Yesterday I shared with you the beginning of my faith walk and my surprising struggle with sin when I had considered myself a good Christian. Here’s the rest of the story. I had been the arrogant older brother in the prodigal son parable (Luke 15:11-32) and the pharisee looking down on the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). I was humbled that …
The Audacity of Grace in My Life, Part 1
Although I grew up in church, I didn’t really grasp the audacity of grace in my life. Audacity (n.): bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints, the quality of being surprising or shocking I used to think I had a lousy testimony because I grew up in a Christian family and didn’t rebel against my parents or my faith. I …
Learning to Dwell Deeply: An Invitation to Spend Time with God
If you’re anything like me, you have every good intention of delving into the Word of God and basking in His presence. You really WANT to spend time with God. You may briefly entertain visions of sitting in your overstuffed arm chair in front of your window, snuggling up with your Bible and java in the wee hours of the …