Renewing Faith │ Restoring Hope
This week we launch our seventh animated reading. The next five weeks of blog posts will draw from themes in this poem. If you like the video, please share with others.
I used to be fine,
Strong and secure. Continue reading “Animated Reading: A Ruinous Drawing”
Standing in the place of stillness . . . no other place I’d rather be.
The place of stillness is like a treasure in the rough. Sometimes it’s hidden in plain sight among the common and ordinary. And even when we find it, it may not seem so extraordinary at first. But this can change . . . if we are willing. Continue reading “Acquiring a Taste for the Holy”
Standing in the place of stillness, was it only a figment of my mind?
Stillness is like a two-edged sword. Sometimes it has a way of nurturing our faith and sensitizing us to the presence of God. While at others, it feels painfully uncomfortable and we want nothing to do with it. How can this be? Continue reading “Stillness: Use It or Lose It”
In the place of stillness, I am learning how to live.
“Don’t just stand there, do something!” This well intended advice is often driven by the unspoken assumption that stillness is laziness and, therefore, ineffective at best or dangerous at worst. The problem isn’t so much with this counsel (sometimes, activity is needed!) but with the attempt to import it into our relationship with God. If we desire a stronger faith, we must learn to think differently about stillness. Continue reading “Less Is More”
The place of stillness is a mirror, reflecting the condition of our souls.
Sometimes life comes to a screeching halt. Movement and noise suddenly cease as the weight of stillness tangibly presses in upon us. This surreal state of mind can be triggered by personal crises or it can randomly roll over us as though appearing out of nowhere. Regardless how it comes, this “place of stillness” is often a place of awakening and revelation. Here we “remember” that we are more than flesh, blood, and bones. We possess an inner life . . . a life of the soul. Continue reading “Reclaiming Our Souls”
The next several weeks of blogs will be based on our most recent filmed reading, “Standing in the Place of Stillness.” Click here to see the full text and here to watch the video.
I remember the silence and peace … it covered me.
Sometimes, we just need to close our eyes and remember the good. Maybe it was a carefree season of childhood years, a vacation at the beach, or simply a time not yet touched by suffering and loss. Do we relish those times with frequent recall of their joy or only lament them as over and done? We would do well to remember the past is never “just the past.” It retains an uncanny ability to influence our present and shape our future. Continue reading “Stewarding Memories”
This week we launch our sixth animated reading. The next five weeks of blog posts will draw from themes in this poem. If you like the video, please share with others.
I have been here before –
I remember the pasture
That beautiful expanse. Continue reading “Filmed Reading: Standing in the Place of Stillness”
There I’m safe and tucked away; I close my eyes and begin to pray.
Be careful what you pray for because you just might get it! There’s always a cost for every dream. The bigger the dream, the greater the cost. Don’t stop dreaming, just be sure you’ve honestly counted the cost. Continue reading “Dream Killer”
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”
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”
