“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Ps 25:16).
We all feel lonely at times. Loneliness can sneak up on us whether we’re in a crowd or by ourselves. When we spend time alone by choice, we come away feeling refreshed and energized. But when being alone isn’t our choice, it can feel overwhelming and draining.
“He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour’” (Job 37:6).
During the winter, the days are cold, dark, and barren. Colors are drab and unappealing. Winter is my least favorite season, but even so, it’s important both in nature and in our spiritual life. Our lives resemble the four seasons: new beginnings like the spring, busy like the summer, harvest like the fall, and rest like the winter.
We resist experiencing winter in our lives, which is natural. We want continual spring or summer or fall. Any season but winter, really. But a winter season doesn’t mean we’re doing anything wrong. It can feel that way when our days are bleak and our souls are tired. Continue reading “The Winter of My Soul”
Authors’s note: This award-winning post was originally published on March 4, 2018.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Th 5:11)
The long, cold winter and gray skies were bringing me down. It seemed winter would never end, and this year my seasonal affective disorder (SAD-an apt acronym if ever there was one) has been triggered more often than in many recent years. The older I get, the more I hate cold weather, which is common of many of us who have SAD. The combination of cold, gray skies, and short days is enough to send me into a spiral of irritability and sadness. I try to keep those feelings to myself so that I won’t damage my relationships, but my friends and family who know me best are aware of how I feel and try to encourage me and talk me through it. Continue reading “Battling the Winter Blues”
“…train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim 4:7 NIV).
The word “discipline” often gets a bad rap. When we think of discipline, we think of punishment. While it can mean this, it also has a positive meaning: training to help us grow and mold our character.
A few years ago, I learned my pastor focuses on one spiritual discipline a year. While I practice many spiritual disciplines such as reading and studying my Bible, praying, and community, I had never thought about focusing on a single discipline for the year until I heard him mention it. Continue reading “Why I’m Focusing on the Spiritual Discipline of Prayer”
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” (2 Chron 15:7).
The new year is one of my favorite times. All the chatter about goals and productivity and self-improvement fills me up. I carve out time to evaluate my progress on the previous year’s goals, and I use that information to set new goals.
What I learned when looking at 2019 was that I had veered off track on my writing goals, and unfortunately, I didn’t meet a single one.
Even so, 2019 held some valuable lessons. I took a good, hard look at the year: what worked, what didn’t, and more importantly, why. With that information in mind, I set new goals for 2020. Continue reading “A New Year = A New Start”