Lord, teach me. . . .

Unity is strength. . . . When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. –Mattie Stepanek In case you missed it . . . the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA World Championship! Pretty exciting, huh? There was a huge parade, wine and gold confetti, and lots and lots of very happy people. Someone pointed out that people who didn’t even know one another were now hugging and crying together. Race didn’t matter; gender didn’t matter. All that mattered in the days following this feat was the common love of Cavs and pride in the city of Cleveland. That part was pretty cool. But some people were claiming God loves Cleveland, that’s why we won. Some churches were praying for a Cavs win. Some suggested the past fifty-two years have been God’s way of “grooming” us for this win. I struggle with such thinking. What does that say to cities with no sports teams (or no winning teams)? That the Almighty loves them less? Hmm. Truth is, now that we have pro...

The fear that blocks learning is removed by Love—only then can people be reached. –Linda Deir We all need them, don’t we? And sometimes we get one, just when we need it most. When we come together and lean on each other, amazing things happen. Ask the ladies at Thistle Farms. Founded by an Episcopalian priest (a woman), Thistle Farms is located near Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a residence for women who have been victims of trafficking, addiction, bad choices—the list goes on. One unique thing about Thistle Farms: the women live together with no supervisor. They are, in essence, entrusted with their own future. From a residence of eight, Thistle Farms has expanded to multiple residences; there is a coffee shop and a terrific line of health, beauty and household products created, packaged and sold by the women. The ingredients are natural and pure; many of them come from farms that also work to provide broken women with a fresh start or a second chance. Kind of ...

Do the difficult things while they are easy and the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. –Lao Tzu Summertime is sneaking up on us. And while most folks make their resolutions in January, the slower pace of summer can also be a great time for trying something new to wake up your spiritual lifestyle. (It’s always a good time, when attempting change, to enlist a friend to keep you on track.) Been thinking you’d like to read the Bible more often, but it seems like it’s too hard , or challenging , or irrelevant and hard to understand ? You may be doing it wrong. If the only Bible you’ve ever tried to read is the King James Version , filled with lovely but old-fashioned Thees and Thous, consider a newer translation, like the Common English Bible , New Living Translation or even The Message . The Bible has been a best-seller for ages, but what good is a book if no one reads it? Maybe you are really dialed in to tech...

Everyone needs reminders that the fact of their being on this earth is important and that each life changes everything.  –Marge Kennedy So . . . have you gotten a Fitbit ® yet? You know—that thing that looks a little bit like a black rubber watch, but without the watch part? It tracks and counts your every step, reminds you to get up and move around, and even gives you an encouraging word when it thinks you might need one. It can help you choose wisely at dinner time and if you want, it will even allow you to compare your fitness/ accomplishments with your friends’. Pretty neat, huh? With a gadget like that, what more could a person need? There’s only one thing I might add. What if it could keep track of your spiritual fitness? Give you a nudge to pray every now and then, maybe offer you an encouraging word of Scripture a few times a day? Help you make positive choices with your free time—and remind you to connect with your spiritual community regularly? (A...