Bearing the Burden of Seeing Discernment is one of the most beautiful—and one of the most brutal—gifts God gives. It is a gift you want, because it brings clarity, protection, wisdom, truth, and spiritual sight. And it is the gift you don’t want, because once you see something, you cannot unsee it. Heavy. Discernment is both a light and a sword. A comfort and a burden. A gift and a responsibility. And if you’ve walked with this gift—especially since childhood—you already kno

“We can be proud of our clear conscience. We have always lived honestly and sincerely, especially when we were with you. And we were guided by God’s gift of undeserved grace instead of by the wisdom of this world.” —2 Corinthians 1:12 (ESV / CEB) Wow! What a verse. The apostle Paul is writing to the wild and wacky Corinthians who had gone off the deep end with all kinds of compromise, conflict, and chaos. This paragraph is like a mini manual for human relationships. Paul make

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 (NLT) There are times when it feels like the wheels have come off the bus and we’re careening down the highway with a load of screaming metaphorical children—and no brakes. Sometimes it’s global chaos—a perfect storm of crises that seem unmanageable. Other times, it’s our own little universe collapsing due to something we d

Years ago, I had a long-term freelance engagement with a biotech company. My job was to translate complex, highly scientific clinical trials into short, readable news items for their global employees. I’d read dense reports, interview PhD scientists and MDs, and then write a few hundred words summarizing the findings. Somehow, I could take this technical information and make it understandable to anyone—effortlessly. As a decidedly non-scientific person, I have no idea how I p

I’ve shared that I started reading Psalms 27, 37, and 40 several months ago during a challenging dry spell. If you’re struggling, Google a psalm that fits and try declaring it aloud with zeal—and see what happens! It works. There’s something powerful about rereading Scripture. God will often highlight a passage and reveal something spectacular in it. Our part? To seek Him. He wants to be found. He delights when we dig deep and mine for spiritual treasure. Such was the case wi

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” 1 John 4:18 (ESV) My 18-year-old son and I recently jumped out of an airplane. I had zero fear. I’m not bragging; it’s more God’s credit than mine. He has walked me through decades of unrelenting fear that once had a profoundly destructive grip on my life. I simply couldn’t take another minute of living that way. Many people would never guess that fear was ever an issue for me. I’ve bungee-jumped 150 feet, started a

I just got the author galleys for Mornings with Jesus 2027. These are the final proofs before a book goes to press. I know—the lead time is really long—but it’s fun to reread what I wrote months ago. Even more interesting is revisiting those entries a year or two later when the book finally releases. As I reread my own reflections—written in moments of spiritual zeal or deep contemplation—I’m reminded of so much. I remember good times and rough ones, problems that were solved

I love the exquisite romance of the Song of Songs—not only as a breathless portrait of marital love, but also as a picture of Jesus’ love for His Bride. Heady stuff. In this fragment (Song 2:10–12), the Bridegroom calls: “Arise… winter is past… the rain is over… flowers cover the earth… it’s time to sing..” (NIV) You can almost feel the joy after a long storm—the invitation to step out of the dark and into delight with Him. If you’ve ever been in love, you know the ache and e

This is just another variant of familiar encouragement along the same lines: “Be still and know that I am God…” “And those who wait on the Lord…” “Fear not, stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord…” They’re everywhere—on mugs, plaques, bumper stickers, and journals. We hear them, see them, read them… a lot. But do we do it? Do we actually sit still and wait? And even if we do, do we do it the way God invites us to—calm, confident, trusting? Oh, boy. I'm reading Psalm

How gracious of God to leave us stories that show who He is and how He operates—in spite of us. Scripture gives us instructive, encouraging, and even warning stories about Bible “heroes” who are a hot mess—jars of clay through which God’s mighty power is displayed. Have you ever wailed something like, “If you love me, God, why is this happening?!” Gideon had every reason to be discouraged when the angel of the Lord appeared, urging him to battle the invading forces. After all

Walking it out, trusting God, year after year, no matter what…That's the ticket to big muscles! He’s faithful! P.S. Let the record note: And I haven’t started shrinking yet either! Still all of 5'6.75" inches don'tcha know.

I have faced an unusual number of challenges in my life—many more than most, and fewer than some. From an intensely dysfunctional childhood, to intense opportunities, through all sorts of messes of my own making and at the hands of others, I have endured a lot. I’m not complaining, since I now consider my garden-variety trials and traumas my superpower. Just as God promises, when we navigate them grounded in Him, they produce extraordinary endurance, perseverance, strength, w

CORRECTED: Please forgive me, beautiful Angelenos! How could I? The World Series is underway, pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Toronto Blue Jays after Toronto’s stunning Game 7 upset over the Seattle Mariners. At the top of the eighth inning, it seemed the Mariners had the pennant locked up—until George Springer’s three-run blast turned defeat into destiny. In a single swing, everything changed. That moment feels like more than baseball. It echoes a deeper truth: v

Proverbs 31 is among the most quoted passages in Scripture, but its celebrity segment often upstages its powerful introduction. Most people associate Proverbs 31 with the idealized biblical wife described in verses 10–31. I have been, at turns, shamed, inspired, and affirmed by her standard. At first she seemed a lofty ideal I could never reach. Later she became a checklist for measuring progress. Eventually, more like her, I beamed at the affirmation that it was more than ok

I remember so clearly, early in my spiritual journey, when Jesus and I were doing a dance of negotiation. I was so worried about what He might ask me to give up. What would I have to surrender if I gave my life to Him? I sensed deeply that’s what He wanted—my whole life. It seemed like a very high-stakes gamble, but the pull was undeniable. His love would not let me go. That was twenty-five years ago, and I have spent a lot of time holding tightly to people, places, and thing

Heavenly Father, In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I come before You in humility and authority—not my own, but the authority granted through the blood of the Lamb and the word of Your testimony. Lord, You said, “Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) I know I've posted these videos before, but I just like them. ;-) Today, I stand on that promise. I lift b

My two sons are wonderful boys and I must say that by the grace of God and my overcompensating CPTSD parenting, I have not had much trouble with them. Even so, they are human (sinners) and there have been pesky behaviors that have required progressive discipline. For instance, Isaac went through a short spell in middle school when the testosterone started flowing and he was kind of handsy and a bit aggressive, though often accompanied by an easy, good natured smile. Exasperat

I’ve been thinking about childbirth lately. I have two teenagers, Pierce, who is 18, and Isaac, who is 15. I had both by C-section....

What does unity have to do with repentance? As it turns out, a whole lot. Repentance acknowledges that we all fall short of the glory of...

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) The enemy wants to separate you. Jesus wants to draw you near. Knock down...