Lord, Come Quickly

He lived in a city once called “the perfection of beauty” (1). Built on a high ridge, it had beautiful buildings, palaces, towers, and a magnificent house of worship. “The joy of the whole earth” was how his friends and neighbors referred to it. But the days of beauty and joy are now just memories. … Continue reading “Let There Be Light” – Lament and Hope

To My Soul, For so long you have aimed to achieve. Your prideful pursuit: Aim for perfection. Achieve success. Secure worth. But it hasn’t worked out that way, has it? It is a rotting lie that if we work hard enough, long enough, we achieve perfection. The truth is that when perfection comes, if it … Continue reading The Archer: Part II – Aim To Abide

To my soul, I see how you make your way. Throughout the fields of life searching. Seeking success that brings satisfaction. Pursuing perfection that’s supposed to bring peace. Aiming to achieve your value and worth. But contentment and peace do not define you. Instead you’ve become a reed bruised, about to be broken by fear. … Continue reading The Archer: Part I – Aim To Achieve

The people felt battered, and understandably so. The siege on their city had been disastrous. For 18 months, an imposing army had tightened a noose around them. As their food rations dwindled, so did their strength. Once starvation set in, the land forces moved in. The attack bloodied the captives’ bodies and souls. Some survivors … Continue reading Love Letter

Only a single piece of evidence was permitted in this unholy courthouse. This courthouse where one individual set up himself as judge, jury, and executioner. And then, upon seeing the actions of this one individual, a second mortal soul did likewise. And another and another until the entire courthouse filled with blasphemous benches and tainted … Continue reading Grace By Association

I am somewhere between point A and point B. In transition. A moving of the heart from Egypt to new land. But instead of shuffling through a scorching desert, it feels like I’m stumbling through a dense forest. A cloud by day to guide me will do me no good. I cannot see the sky. … Continue reading 5 Things To Know When You’re In The Forest

For those of us practically born and literally raised in the church, certain verses have been worn so smooth in our minds that like the old church pew in my mom’s foyer, everything just slides off. When the pastor reads John 3:16, my mind slides into neutral. What was once fresh is now familiar….too familiar. … Continue reading The Only List That Matters

“Soil activation.” That’s what the lady at the local garden shop says our winter-worn ground needs. The dry winds of the cold season have left our lawn thin and soulless. One more week of droughty, windy weather and our hope for springtime renewal will be all but blown away. My nose wrinkles and my eyes … Continue reading Be Sure To Water It In

Rejection is bad—through and through—or so I thought. When we are cast aside, dismissed, and overlooked, it cuts—deep and wide. The benefits of betrayal? None. The upsides of being downtrodden? Zero. The advantages of being abandoned? Seriously!? And then along comes this honest-to-goodness, 21st-century shepherd who completely upended my perspective on this: Healing Father, may … Continue reading The Acceptance Found In Rejection