We have desires, longings, thirsts, but can God meet these? What does the Bible say about desire and delight? I have a desire. Actually, I have multiple desires. Desires that I might not even be consciously aware of can be drivers of my behaviour. Often when I listen to people […]
prayer
Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are. I lose hope sometimes. It’s like the desired outcome seems a million miles away and a thousand dance moves have to […]
I want to pray, but don’t know how. How to Pray for a Narcissist. It begins with honesty. It prays for light. Can a Narcissist change? That’s a question many people ask. But it’s much like that old joke about psychologists changing a lightbulb. How many psychologists does it […]
Our minds can be so busy, but learning how to stop is so crucial to our wellbeing. Perhaps centering prayer offers some help. I was watching a two-year-old boy the other day. He was full on in active mode. Walking here and there, playing with this and that. But his […]
You’ve got nothing left. An empty love tank, weightless and vulnerable. But you want love. Who and what will fill the need? The water tank was empty. I opened up the lid on the tank and immediately I could smell the residue of silt lying on the bottom of the […]
A 17th Century Nun Prayed ‘Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and someday will be old.’ Recently, I went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a small village here in New Zealand. In 1892, Suzanne Aubert (better known as Mother Mary Joseph) established the congregation […]
Can you pray for me? How do you respond when someone asks you to pray? I often get requests for me to pray, but I am often not sure what to pray for. Sometimes the need is very clear, but at other times it is vague. They want me to […]
Your pain is legitimate, and second-place prayers reveal the need, but first-place prayers must always come first, so we pray a simple prayer. Simple sounds easy. Requiring little effort. First place. It’s where we put the best, second-place things go behind first-place things. There is an order—first place, then […]
Ever found yourself in a dark place? A simple state of sadness can throw you in such a place. At least l experience that often. I used to be depressed, severely depressed, the kind of state that makes it hard for facial muscles to react to other people’s joyful interaction. […]
We want God to answer our prayer our way, but there is a larger story going on, so we wait to see the way God answers prayer. Most weekends, when my children were young, I made buns for lunch. First, I would make the bread dough in a breadmaker, then […]