You can be shattered and then you can put yourself back together piece by piece. But what can happen over time is this: You wake up one day and realize that you have put yourself back together completely differently. That you are whole, finally, and strong--but you...
02288 – Differences? We Need Each Other
Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.
02279 – Tragically Flawed by Our Self-Centeredness
The scriptural telling begins with how tragically flawed we are by our self-centeredness – Adam blaming Eve, Cain bashing Abel – and how slow we are to realize it – Samson with Delilah, David with Bathsheba.... But one day a man named Jesus appeared out of nowhere who...
02112 – A Different Perspective
Looking at life from a different perspective makes you realize that it's not the deer that is crossing the road, rather it's the road that is crossing the forest.
01935 – The Search for Belonging
When productivity is our main way of overcoming self-doubt, we are extremely vulnerable to rejection and criticism and prone to inner anxiety and depression. Productivity can never give the deep sense of belonging we crave. The more we produce, the more we realize...
01903 – Simplicity is the Answer
Simplicity is the answer for people tired and weary. Simplicity is marked by a contented lifestyle that rests in God’s grace. It is the commitment to clear out, scale down, and realize the essentials of what we truly need to live well. The intimate search for...
01884 – A Drastically Different Way of Living
As you come to know the seriousness of our situation—the war, the racism, the poverty in the world—you come to realize it is not going to be changed just by words or demonstrations. It's a question of risking your life. It's a question of living your life in a...
01879 – Released from Prison?
[Just before being released from prison...] As I stand before the door to my freedom, I realize that if I do not leave my pain, anger, and bitterness behind me, I will still be in prison.
01784 – Right Now We are Okay
Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears...
01682 – If You Look Back…
If you look back only at your mistakes, you'd think you were an idiot. If you look back only at your wiser choices, you'd think you were infallible. But if you look back on everything, you realize you're a human being who has been through a lot, grown a lot, is always...