If I brushed my daughter’s hair every day, it wouldn’t hurt so much to brush; if I spent time with God every day, it wouldn’t hurt so much to live.
Tag: prayer
Fresh out
It’s tough to feel anything but dried up these days. Poetry helps. So does reading the Word. (One more than the other.)
Letters to and from God
This is me. This is how I pray. It’s how I prayed for two years, actually. Scurrying to the secret place and writing longhand every morning through intense soul-pain, repressed emotions, and life changes, tears of rage and gratitude dried in the margins. I stopped last December after a major revelation brought closure to issues …
Hum if you don’t know the words
What do you do when the words don’t come? When your heart is burdened and breaking and you close your eyes to pray but nothing comes out? What then? Anything. Scream.Cry.Babble.Laugh.Breathe. Sing.Dance.Build.Paint.Write. Prayer isn’t about the words you say just like worship isn’t about carrying a tune. Your entire life can be worship; your entire …
Never not in His presence
Where do you encounter the presence of God? At church? In worship? In prayer? What about while you’re cooking? Or exercising? In line at the store? God is not separate from your daily life. He’s not hiding or absent or locked in a building you visit once a week. He’s WITH YOU. All the time. …
Body-positive alternatives to fasting
You ever get triggered on someone else’s behalf? That’s me writing about fasting. I suffered with disordered eating for 20 years. It wasn’t until coming to Christ that I saw any lasting recovery, and while there’s still a ways to go, I’m grateful that God has healed my particular brand of crazy to the point …
What are you really hungry for?
If you’re fasting this month, you’re probably super hungry today. And every day. And it’s probably messing with your daily life. Like, I can’t be the only one who happened to be walking through Walmart at the exact time they bake the chocolate chip cookies and literally RAN AWAY. Just me? Dang. ANYWAY. What I’m …
King David falls out
Attitude is everything. Especially when we don’t get what we’re praying for. I recently re-read the story of David and Bathsheba, a familiar tale of lust, murder, and trying to make things okay that are NOT OKAY. What stands out is how David grieves when God takes away the child conceived by his sin. This …
Fasting is about what you gain, not what you lose
P R A Y E R & F A S T I N G That’s what the rest of my month is about. Yesterday our church began a 21-day fast during which we’re sharpening our awareness of God by foregoing creature comforts to remind our flesh it’s not in charge. Some folks alter their food, …
Only one God split the sea
As Moses led Israel out of Egypt, he was praying constantly, fully dependent on God to walk an entire nation out of slavery fast enough to avoid being slaughtered by the furious army chasing them. Moses sure didn’t have the power to do it, what with that pesky sea in the way. The Egyptians must …
A prayer for my somehow three year old baby on her birthday
Let her be quick to forgive and quick to say sorry. Let her not seek her own way but Yours. Let her give lavishly of herself and what she has without thinking of debt or payback. Let her have strong boundaries that serve her and others, to keep connection without sacrificing sanity or health. Let …
35: Thanks and Yes
For my birthday this year, I tattooed the most dangerous prayer on myself. What have I gotten myself into?