God Himself Is Your Inheritance

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God Himself Is Your Inheritance

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is tucked away in the book of Joshua where the Promised Land is being divided up among the tribes. It reads: But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them. Joshua 13:33 ESV.

The Lord God Himself as the allotment given to the tribe of Levi. As the priestly arm of Israel, God promised to provide for them rather than have them work the land for themselves. I often wonder if the tribe of Levi understood the significance of this. I know I certainly do!

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When You Don't Recognize the Gift You've Been Given

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When You Don't Recognize the Gift You've Been Given

I was in the fourth grade, when the comparison trap tripped me up. Two of my classmates would go upstairs to the fifth grade classroom for math because their skills exceeded the level the class was on. It seemed like they were soaring, while I was left struggling downstairs. Math was never my strong suit, so seeing them elevated left me with a twinge of jealousy. 

In the sixth grade, I remember being told that a select group of students from our class would be going on a field trip to sing Christmas carols at a senior citizen home. Our teacher, Sister Mary Louise (a nun at our K-8 Catholic school) walked the aisles listening to each of us sing. After the song, she chose a handful of students to go on the field trip, which didn't include me. I knew singing wasn't my strength, but I didn't think it was bad enough to exclude me from going. Math challenged and unable to carry a note, I wondered what set me apart.

All I wanted as a kid was stellar math skills and a strong singing voice. What I failed to see... 

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3 Blessings of Keeping a Prayer Notebook

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3 Blessings of Keeping a Prayer Notebook

I am currently praying through the Psalms (a psalm a day.)  I love the psalms as a template for prayer because it shows how we can bring every little to God in prayer: every situation, every emotion and every care. 

King David, who penned some of the most-loved psalms, was a great example of how you don't have to be afraid to share what's on your heart (even the ugly stuff); or afraid to lay bare sins and shortcomings. I'm especially encouraged by all of the psalm writers confidence in God to come through and answer and how they always waited on God alone.

The written prayers in the Bible are here to encourage and equip us.

About 8 years ago, I started keeping a prayer notebook (more out of desperation than anything else)...

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Who Gives a Hoot about Holiness?

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Who Gives a Hoot about Holiness?

Holiness is not a popular word in today’s Christian circles.  If you do use it, most folk consider you part of some recluse religious sect. Or you're a "super saint" if holiness is a hallmark of your life.

I’m reading through the Bible in a year and am wrapping up the the book of Leviticus. But who really reads through the book of Leviticus much less enjoys it right? I’ve never really been a fan of the book. I’ll admit, my eyes have glazed over in times past with all the talk of sin offerings and how to kill animals. But this time around, I have to admit I’m finding it quite fascinating.

Of course, the whole premise of the book is God’s holiness and how the children of Israel (who had just come out of slavery in Egypt) had to follow a laundry list of ritualistic guidelines to ensure they were clean or pure to enter into God’s presence represented by the Tabernacle.

What struck me is that these people had to always be aware of their state of purity or impurity.

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The Slippery Slope of the Selfie Ministry

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The Slippery Slope of the Selfie Ministry

As I hopped on the computer this morning and scrolled through my Facebook and Instagram feeds, I was struck at how many selfies I ran across. And I'm not just talking about regular selfies, I'm speaking of "ministry" selfies. You know those photos that people post of themselves along with a scripture, word of encouragement or invitation to a ministry event.

Today's discoveries made me think of a line from A.W. Tozer's Pursuit of God, which I'm reading now. It says:

"Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice."

The book was published in 1948--nearly 70 years ago. Self was an issue in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned, it was an issue in 1948 when Tozer wrote the book and it still is an issue today.

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Stop Scrolling and Start Scribing: A Call to Writing Out the Bible

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Stop Scrolling and Start Scribing: A Call to Writing Out the Bible

I have been memorizing the book of Ephesians since last year. It's been a slow and steady process. As part of the memorization, I have been writing out the entire book of Ephesians in a Moleskine notebook. Then the thought hit me: wouldn't it be awesome (and very ambitious) to write out the entire Bible. Crazy thought I know! But a quick Google search proved that it's not as crazy as it seems. I found lots of people who are writing out the Bible. There was even one entry where a family had its patriarch's handwritten scriptures bound in leather books as a family keepsake.

But as awesome as the idea was, I knew I could never do it because I work, have three kids and don't have extra time to spare. Then, as only the Holy Spirit can, He whispered: "instead of scrolling, you could be scribing."

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What I'm Reading in 2016

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What I'm Reading in 2016

I've dubbed this the year of the Christian classic.

It's also the year that I start reading the hundreds of books on my Kindle before I buy another hard copy book.

For years, I've been wanting to dedicate time to reading Christian classics (or books by authors who have written a Christian classic) so the top of the year seemed like the best time. And it doesn't hurt that I've got quite a few Christian classics already loaded on my Kindle.

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My Resolution for 2016: I Give Up

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My Resolution for 2016: I Give Up

As I scroll through my social media feeds today, I've found a common theme: they are full of New Year resolutions, vision boards, weight loss challenges, one word themes and lists of goals. Every where I look, people are declaring what their year will look like and what is going to happen. The more I scrolled, the more I realized that the Lord was laying something entirely different on my heart.

This year, I'm giving up.

Before you write me off as a quitter, let me explain.

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On Learning the Good Art of Resting in Toil

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On Learning the Good Art of Resting in Toil

I'm equal parts Mary and Martha.  

I sit at Jesus' feet. But while there I am anxious and troubled about many things.

Most of us know the story of Martha and Mary well.  Martha is exasperated as she works to be a gracious hostess to Jesus who has come to visit her home. Meanwhile, Mary sits at His feet listening to Him teach. 

I often exasperate myself with my constant striving for what has already been freely given. I cannot work for the peace that comes from abiding in God's presence.

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