Preparation – Some Prayers Take Time 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be [...]Read More
Lent Week 4: Fostering Intimacy With Christ
The Witness of Grace & Generosity “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For [...]Read More
Lent Week 3: Fostering Intimacy with Christ
Hope in the Ashes Two weeks ago, I found myself standing in my bathroom looking in the mirror. I couldn’t take my eyes off of my forehead. Emblazoned on my head was a dark, ashen cross; a reminder of my frailty and limitations. A visual to cue me in to the brokenness of the world, lest I [...]Read More
Lent Week 2: Fostering Intimacy With Christ
Lord Lead Me in the Way of Repentance As we focus on repentance, we remember that in Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. There he spent 40 days and 40 nights and was tested by the devil. Francisco Goya 1746 – 1828The Repentant St. Peteroil on canvas (73 × 64 [...]Read More
Lent: Fostering Intimacy with Christ
Setting Your Intention Christ In The Desert Painting Lent is a special time. As Christians, it’s a special time to engage The Living God through intentional times of prayer, fasting, contemplation, meditation, worship and other disciplines that foster intimacy with Christ. Lent provides an [...]Read More
Remember. Rejoice. Release.
What do we need to release this season? How can I prepare myself for the arrival of Jesus when the Christmas season can bring about some unpleasant feelings? Visitation, 2010, acrylic on linen, 8 x 7 ft (2.4 x 2.1 m) Jackie Kazarian Source: [...]Read More
Embracing Advent: Preparing Our Hearts for a Meaningful Christmas Celebration
The lights are up. The stores are bursting with tinsel, decorative trees and gifts galore. All around the world, a great "to-do" is made about Christmas. But just what are we really celebrating? The coming of Christ is undoubtedly one of the most monumental events in history; however, [...]Read More
Holding onto Hope
I’ve been thinking a lot about the first Advent and the early years of Jesus’ childhood. I wonder what Mary was thinking as she brought her son into the world, so far from home. Instead of nesting she had to flee to Bethlehem. So much for planning a cozy home birth. And yet, she held [...]Read More