There is no good way to talk about what is very hard to hear. And yet it's crucial to say it. It’s crucial to put the truth out there for anyone willing to ask: "Tell us about past events, so that we can reflect on them and understand their consequences. So we can choose a different way."
Raised above the heads of those who hated him, those who grieved for him and those who liked the show, how was he able to breathe? Breathing required pushing up on those pierced feet. Breathing required ramming splintered wood into his shredded back. Breathing required an unfathomable commitment to finish.
Throughout his life, Daniel continued to follow God, regardless who did or did not go with him. You too be blessed with a Daniel heart.
Even a cursory look at all levels of leadership in US churches, denominations, networks and ministries reveals that what should be foundational is often absent. Many leaders do not know how to follow God.
Even though I cannot live out any commitment perfectly, I can set my heart toward it and use my voice to affirm it. And that matters. A lot.
It feels wonderful to find yourself waiting in quiet hope and encouraging others to do the same. It feels dreadful to seek the God you thought you knew while hope continues to hide. It feels like a betrayal on God’s part, or a failure on yours, or both.
Learning to dance with God means being vulnerable, flexible, brave, as he frees us from the paralysis of the religious and teaches us to move in sync with him.
On Day 5 of the Feast of Tabernacles, celebrate the joy of courageously following through.
Shame that’s exposed hurts like hell. But only – only – when brought out into the light can shame be dealt with and sent away.
Mini-post. "God is kind, but he's not soft ..." A notable Bible quote and an image of a courageous woman that encourage me to go with God.
This book is a call to cultural humility by a woman who writes with a lot of humility. It's a call to us who are white to press in to see that what we count "normal" may not be others' normal at all.
Insights from Carolyn Custis James that can help us recognize and "dis-able" spiritual abuse.