The week before Easter, I read this Tish Harrison Warren interview (it may be behind a paywall) with Tim Keller, the well known founder of Redeemer Church in New York City. Keller has spent two years suffering from pancreatic cancer. I found this interview to be a perfect example of what the Grown Up life... Continue Reading →
Making Our Bodies Allies For Growing Up
In last week’s post, I said this, “Our bodies need to be a part of our transformation and we need to make a way for all of these parts of ourselves to respond in ways that are honoring to God and draws us closer to Him and continues to bless others and do what Christ... Continue Reading →
All It Took Was A Little Girl
I am haunted by Peter’s denial of Jesus. Jesus has been captured and taken before the High Priest. Peter, silently and without drawing attention to himself, follows Jesus to the house of the High Priest. Peter is fully aware that his association with Jesus puts him at risk of capture and arrest as well but... Continue Reading →
The Truth About Speaking The Truth In Love
“But speaking the truth in love…” I have heard this scripture used my entire life and in almost every context it is used incorrectly. The way that most people use it is as a rationale for being critical. “I am going to tell you something I don’t like about you or your behavior but don’t... Continue Reading →
How To Learn How To Live
At every turning point in our lives we are having to learn how to live. When a crushing loss happens to us we often say that “I had to learn how to live without…” If a prevailing illness or injury happens to us we say, “I had to learn how to live now that I... Continue Reading →
The Story I Am Telling Myself About God
Brene Brown has a tremendous question she recommends asking yourself when faced with challenges - “The story I am telling myself right now is…” I would like to steal that premise and change it to - “The story I am telling myself about God right now is…” You may want to make this a journal... Continue Reading →
The God Who Sees Me
A few months back, I was struggling with disappointment and battling doubt and uncertainty. One morning during this time, I opened up the Daily Prayer app and came across the reading for that day - Genesis 16 and the story of Hagar. As I read, this line jumped out at me, “You are the God... Continue Reading →
Facing Death on Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, this macabre practice of putting ashes on your forehead in the shape of a cross, is such a countercultural activity that it is amazing that it is still practiced. Ash Wednesday is countercultural because it is a deep and ritualistic focus on the one thing we hate to think about - death. The... Continue Reading →
Never Stop Growing Up
Most females stop growing physically at age 15 and males stop growing at age 18. Our brains will continue to develop until age 25. So, by the time we reach 30 years old we have reached our peak in human physical and mental development. Yet, as Eugene Peterson points out, the most important growing up... Continue Reading →
A Living and Breathing Life
To live a Grown Up life, you need the very spiritual life breath of God. Two striking moments in human history occured with God breathing something into existence. When God created the first man, scripture says that he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” When Jesus has been raised from the dead and... Continue Reading →