In early January 2007, my study group was discussing what it meant to be radically available to God. The idea was that you have to give up everything for God, that you have to listen to what He is calling you to do. Somebody asked me what I thought about it. “I’m going to be…
Have you ever had to change your mind about something important? Have you ever had a conviction that you thought you would never lose, only to completely change your mind later on? We all change as we age, but sometimes we tend to get stuck in our thinking. We may have developed core beliefs at…
It should be crystal clear by now that what I propose in this book is not my natural disposition. Please don’t think this stuff comes easy for me. I’m no kindness poster child. I’d much rather slap Mister Rogers or Mother Teresa on any billboard to represent the simple difference. My likeness is quick to…
I grew up in a traditional Bible Belt church in Texas. The church—and when I say “church,” I mean the people not the building—was instrumental in solidifying my faith. There were many sermons about how to share our faith with others, but this topic always felt scary to me. What if I didn’t get the…
I’ve heard people talk about “getting back to normal” so many times in the past few months. It’s what we’re supposed to do after something difficult or tragic or out of the ordinary. We’re supposed to move on from the challenging time and live like it never happened. But I’m not sure what “normal” even…
As I write this, I am on a camping trip with one of my closest friends and her family. I am so looking forward to the three-day weekend with these precious friends, despite the forecast of lots of rain. Unlikely Friends I first met this friend at a previous church. While I immediately liked her,…