Reclaiming What Belongs to You
When things feel off kilter, I’m quick to pick up books by Eugene Peterson. There’s a long list of reasons why Peterson’s books are worth the time, but one big thing for me is his writing reorients my focus. Inevitably, I come away with a renewed motivation to “keep the main thing the main thing.” […]
Flannery O’Connor and the Case for Prayer Journaling
A few years ago, Flannery O’Connor’s prayer journals were published in book form. To be honest, I felt guilty reading them—they seemed too personal for public consumption. But her publisher and the manager of her estate believed they should be published. In 1946, O’Connor began keeping a prayer journal when she was at the Iowa […]
How to Move On When People Disappoint You
We’ve all been there, and some of us have been there more than once. It’s the feeling we get when a friend, coworker, or loved one profoundly disappoints us. Maybe it wasn’t intentional on their part—or perhaps it was. Either way, the sting runs deep. It’s one of the uncomfortable truths about life—we will be […]
Advent: A Season of Promise
Jesus’ birth is evidence that God keeps his promises. Since Old Testament times, God had been promising that He would send the Christ child who would be known by these names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). God fulfilled that promise in the birth of Jesus Christ. Thumb through the […]