Acceptance and the Problem With Bears “That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” – attributed to Frederik Nietzsche One of my favorite quotes is this one from Frederik Nietzsche. It is because it has been handily rewritten by the wilderness community into this: “That which does not kill you makes you stronger...except bears. …
John Eldredge is one of my favorite writers whose writings have significantly challenged my faith and moved my toward greater intimacy with my God. Over time you will find my reviews of his most influential books (so far) in my experience. In one of his books he writes about his former ministry partner, Brent. John …
In 1956, five missionaries, all young men with families, died at the hands of the Waodani natives in the jungles of Ecuador. Jim Elliot was among those who died by the spears of the people they were trying to save. Much of the world was riveted by the news reports of the five missing men, …
Amy Carmichael, the famous pioneer missionary to Japan and later to India more than 100 years ago, told of a time in which she was anxious because of a major set-back in her travels with two other missionaries. The group was returning to the mission station by boat, and the boat was late. Days late. …
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Mary the mother of Jesus, to the angel announcing the coming birth of Jesus, as recorded in Luke 1:38 One of my heroes in the Gospel narratives is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her fortitude in dealing with …
The true spirit of prayer is no other than God's own Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the saints. And as this spirit comes from God, so doth it naturally tend to God in holy breathings and pantings. It naturally leads to God, to converse with him by prayer. --Jonathan Edwards “Therefore, since we are …
"Prayer is either a sheer illusion or a personal contact between embryonic, incomplete persons (ourselves) and the utterly concrete Person. Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and …
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” - Colossians 3:16. As I progressed (regressed?) through my college years in the late 70’s, I began to keep notes on what I was learning from reading the Bible. I had no other plan in mind, so I simply began to write in the margins of …
“The friend of silence comes close to God. In secret he converses with him and receives his light.” - John Climacus “Let the fires go out in the boiler room of the church and the place will still look smart and clean, but it will be cold. The Prayer Room is the boiler room for …
“The lover of silence draws close to God. He talks to Him in secret and God enlightens him.” --John Climacus In the previous post on solitude, I described several strategies I employ to create solitude throughout my day. Starting the day with silence and solitude, avoiding any digital connections in the morning, having the first …
Without Limit 