The Joseph Principle
Forgiveness is an internal, personal journey that does not require the other party. Reconciliation does. But forgiveness can move forward without them. This is a…
Articles
Everything I wrote here over the years, newest first.
Day 16 – Tribute to Larry Crabb
I just learned that Dr. Larry Crabb passed away yesterday. He was a Christian leader and author that profoundly influenced my life through his books…
Day 15 – God’s Mysterious Plan
On June 29, 2007 I was at home working when I answered a phone call from Terry. She was on her way to the emergency…
Day 14 – A barrier to forgiveness?
On this Friday I’d like to take a look back on the journey so far. This is the end of 3 of 4 weeks of…
Day 13 – Job’s Suffering; God’s Answer
When I wrote about Job, I received some interesting feedback that I thought might be good to revisit. One person asked: “How much time passed…
Day 12 – The Pain-Intention Matrix
When I was a kid I made a bow and arrow. Sort of. I had some bamboo that was probably one of those supports for…
Day 11 – The Problem Of Being Right
I scanned over the entire New Testament this morning looking at the many references to sin. Sin is an old word. A little out of…
Day 10 – The Starting Point of Forgiveness
(note: the photo with this article is my wife and our daughter, not the nephew I mention) We have photos at our wedding with our…
Day 9 – Glass half empty or half full?
One of my friends in junior high quizzed me, “is this glass half empty or half full?” The big reveal was that apparently it was…
Day 8 – Unfinished
It was an impulse, a moment of decision that came out of the blue. I’ve never told anyone that. …I just felt moved to do…
Day 7 – We should forgive
At this point I feel like I should affirm my beliefs. I’ve had some great responses to these messages and I’m grateful for all of…
Day 6 – How to remember something
When I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s I was told that you only have so many brain cells and that if you did…
Day 5 – The Strange Paradox With Forgiveness
Day 5: The Strange Paradox With Forgiveness So many wonderful responses to my messages last week, thank you! I appreciate every one of them. As…
Day 4 – Tricky Questions About Forgiveness
Forgiveness can appear to be a simple thing. And sometimes, it is. But for some people, and in some cases, it’s not. It can get…
Day 3 – Valleys of Death
My mom said a strange thing to me once. She said that when I was growing up I never held grudges, didn’t carry resentment. I’d…
Day 2 – Maybe this makes forgiveness harder?
Yesterday I started in a rather abstract place to discuss forgiveness: my simple childhood. There’s a reason for that, as I think you’ll see as…
Day 1 – How I’m going to explore forgiveness
We must inhabit our experiences. Our culture these days is entranced by ideas and concepts as though all we are is an idea. As though…
Practical Steps To Calm Anxiety and Worry In Uncertain Times
How do you remain calm, continue self-care, and really deal with the stress, anxiety and worry in life, and especially in times like this when…
Building a Vocal Booth
Part I It’s really important to me that the quality of my work is the highest I can make it, and I’m proud of the…
Can you be deceived in meditation?
In this video I’m answering a common question/complaint I’ve heard on Facebook and in my own email. If you’re opening yourself up in meditation, can…
When God Uses Only 1 Percent – Gideon’s Story Part 5
Here’s part 5, the last episode of my talk on the story of Gideon. And now we see Gideon calls all the people forward, gathers…
Doubt and Grace – Gideon’s Story Part 4
Here’s part 4 of my talk on the story of Gideon. We are often critical of Gideon because even though he has a major sign…
How Do I Know It Is You God? – Gideon’s Story Part 3
Here’s part 3 of my talk on the story of Gideon. Gideon has some reservations and doubt, so he asks for confirmation. Does this feel…
Go in the Strength You Have, I Am With You – Gideon’s Story, Part 2
Here’s part 2 of my talk on the story of Gideon – where God shows up, tells Gideon to “Go in the Strength You Have”…
Why the context of Gideon’s Story matters to us today – Gideon’s Story Part 1
The story of Gideon in the book of Judges is a story that speaks to me every time I read it these days. Why? It’s…
You can be right, or you can be happy
I was reminded of this phrase while I was teaching the Hearing God course, and thinking about the time that Eli was helping Samuel respond…
Can you learn to hear God’s Voice?
Video 3: Can you learn to hear God’s Voice? As always, please post your thoughts, questions, and highlights below. [share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true”…
Getting More From the Almond Story
Video 2: Getting More From the Almond Story Again, please comment below and let me know what the highlight was for you in this…
How do you hear God’s voice?
Video 1: How do you hear God’s voice? Please comment below and let me know: What was the highlight for you in this video?…
Are You Kicking a Goad vs. “Being With”?
My father had Crohn’s disease all his adult life, a gastrointestinal problem that would occasionally hospitalize him. In later years when this would happen I…
Don’t wait until “when”
We are fond of thinking that God lives outside of time. That he exists yesterday, today, and in the future. Which he does. But we…
Healing From Brokenness
On Friday, Jun 29, 2007, our youngest daughter Allie, 6 years old at the time, broke both of her arms on a trampoline. Both arms…
“The most gratifying thing I’ve ever done”
Starting and growing Meditate On Christ has been the single most gratifying thing I’ve ever done in my life apart from having our 3 wonderful…
The Peril of Prosperity, the Fortune of Failure
As a junior high student I was average. Truth is, I found school boring and I placed little trust in it’s authority. I identify with…
“Visualization”
I asked thousands of people to tell me the first word that comes to mind when they hear the word “visualization” and the results were…
20 Great Journaling Questions for You
I used to sit in front of my journal with nothing to write. Blank page. No clue as to how to get started. That was…
Mental Rubbernecking
What is it about passing an accident scene on the highway that compels us to crane our necks around to satisfy our morbid curiosity? I…
Who are you grateful to?
Gratitude is a wonderful thing. And I ran into a video (below) that illustrates this beautifully. I’m not saying it did, but it might have…
Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast
About a month ago I read a quote from a navy SEAL that went, “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” That’s so true. Whenever we…
Loss, and a little boy’s Tonka Toy
When I was a little boy, I had a Tonka toy bulldozer, very much like the one pictured above. I remember playing with it by…
Wear and Tear, Scars, and Redemption
I go to a little coffee shop in town that is wearing out. It’s been here for many years, and the chairs are getting worn,…
Why Isn’t Meditate On Christ More Devotional?
First, I’m not saying devotional material is bad. But Meditate On Christ isn’t some attempt to compete with the devotional material out there already. There’s…
Is God “in our breath”?
Last week I got this question in from Rhonda: “I just finished Day 3 and really enjoy it. However, as a fellow Christian, I have…
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Let’s set the stage: Two people, one admired for his discipline, years of study, and prestige. He is an example of how to live and…
Wasp sting
I just got stung by a wasp! I was walking along, minding my own business when I felt something on my calf. Why do you…
What holds us back?
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” – Marianne Williamson. “The mass of…
“May it be to me as you have said”
“May it be to me as you have said” – Lk 1:38 (Mary) “Oh God, As I sit in your presence and I wait on…
Spring Flowers
Flowers are blooming today in our yard. It seems sometimes like there’s 8 months of winter here, but actually that’s not quite true. And surprisingly,…
Fighting multitasking
There’s a myth that you can be more productive if you multitask. It’s deceptively appealing: do lots of things all at once so that you…
Are you Doing Meditation Wrong?
If you’re new to meditation, this is a question you might have: Am I doing it wrong? “When I turn my attention to my breath,…
Houseflies
About a year ago we started to notice we were getting some flies in the house. Just little ones, but flies really bother me indoors.…
After the sobbing stops
You’ve been in this situation. As a child, no doubt, and maybe as a parent too: The child has done something wrong, again. Maybe it…
My Trip to the Emergency Room
About 10 years ago now, I spent the afternoon and evening in the Emergency room of the Calgary Foothills Hospital. My heart was beating erratically,…
“Heb Dhuw heb ddym, Dhuw a digon”
Can’t read it? I can’t either… it’s (apparently) old Welsh, and it comes from the motto on the Davis coat of arms. Every few years…
Are You Flapping Like a Duck?
We live out in the country, about 15 minutes from town. So that provides lots of opportunities to see wildlife on the drive. We have…
What’s the difference between Meditation and Contemplation?
I use the terms interchangeably, because of the influence in the media and in scientific research over the past 50 years or so. In our…
What posture should I use when I meditate?
Kneeling, head bowed, hands folded… that seems like the classic Christian prayer position, doesn’t it? Or, when you think “meditation” does some kind of yoga…
What time of day is best to meditate?
The short answer is – morning. But I also recommend you try a variety of times and see what works for you. Each person is…
How To Create A Powerful Morning Routine
You already have a morning routine, don’t you? Think about it now. Do you wake up to an alarm? A phone call? The noise around…