Category: Prayer

Facing Fear’s Shadow

For dreams to be born fears must be faced.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself. In the cold grip of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared these words at his Presidential Inaugural Address of 1933. In this speech, he spoke of a very real, though intangible, enemy of the United States—the fear of fear. And then he laid out how such fear was strangling the very soul of the nation. Roosevelt understood that fear of the unknown can paralyze people from realizing their dreams of a better future. Even today, regardless our fears, the outcome of inactivity remains the same—death of our dreams and sickness in our souls.

Continue reading “Facing Fear’s Shadow”

A Crisis of Vision

Empty promises lose their shine when peace and joy are already mine.

Central to Christian faith is its ancient proclamation, “Jesus is Lord!” For many, such a cry may appear politically incorrect or even naive but only for those who’ve not yet seen what the early Christians saw. For such a vision of Christ has proven more powerful than even the threat of death. They could claim that Jesus is Lord because they could see that Jesus was sufficient. May God restore to us this very same vision even today!

Continue reading “A Crisis of Vision”

Where Hearts Come Alive

This special place is now my life, absence long results in strife.

Sometimes stillness can affect us in profound ways. We’ve all experienced it in one form or another—a brilliant star-lit night stops our heart, an awesome mountain vista demands our attention, or the fiery hues of an ocean sunset leave us speechless. Somehow these moments add to us and we leave with more than we came. Creation clearly has a way of unveiling the majesty of God (Psalm 19:1). Yet there’s something even more breathtaking than the wonder of creation before us—the glory of God within us. Continue reading “Where Hearts Come Alive”

Restoring the Hunger

Then my God reminded me of that place that used to be.

Cherished memories are among the most precious gifts one can possess. The clearer the memory, the more powerful its effect. So too with our faith when we’ve encountered the presence of God; such memories remind us that the God who met us yesterday is the same God who yearns to meet with us today . . . and tomorrow. While our faith is not based on such experiences, they do have a profound way of motivating us to diligently nurture the health of our souls. Continue reading “Restoring the Hunger”

Silencing the Soul

Where You and I are set apart, in the chapel of my heart.

We carry within us a world of unrelenting noise. This never ending stream of regrets, ambitions, hopes, and fears is so pervasive it’s hard to imagine our lives without it. Though we may experience unexpected moments of inner silence and peace, we usually presume they’re too infrequent and random to count on. Surprisingly, however, such times often leave us so impacted we find ourselves yearning for more and wondering if maybe . . . just maybe they don’t have to be so infrequent after all. Continue reading “Silencing the Soul”

Rediscovering the Wonder

The next several weeks of blogs will be based on our most recent animated poem, Chapel of My Heart. To see the full text or watch the video, click here.

To my room I would go; I’d talk to God and share my woes.

We live in an age when notions of “spirit” or “spirituality” are often presumed irreconcilable with a scientific (otherwise, true, real, accurate) understanding of the world. Such ideas reflect a “materialist” worldview—the belief that human life and experience are ultimately reduced to nothing more than the material effects of our molecular and chemical components. Continue reading “Rediscovering the Wonder”