Life is not a problem to be solved, it is a playful adventure to be lived.
Another devotional thought from one of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen. Jesus says: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him ... take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). He does not say: "Make a cross" or "Look for a cross." Each of us has a cross to carry. There is no need to make one or look for one. The cross we have is hard enough for us! But are we willing to take it up, to accept it as our cross?Maybe we can't study, maybe we are handicapped, maybe we suffer from depression, maybe...
This is good word for our soul, heart and mind. Another good insight from Henri Nouwen. When we talk to one another, we often talk about what happened, what we are doing, or what we plan to do. Often we say, "What's up?" and we encourage one another to share the details of our daily lives. But often we want to hear something else. We want to hear, "I've been thinking of you today," or "I missed you," or "I wish you were here," or "I really love you." It is not always easy to say these words, but such words can deepen...
These are words from Henri Nouwen. Great insight. Read on… We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior. God doesn't approve of betrayal, violence, hatred, suspicion, and all other expressions of evil, because they all contradict the love God wants to instill in the human heart. Evil is the absence of God's love. Evil does not belong to God.God's unconditional love means that God continues to love us even when we say...
Henri Nouwen is one of my favorite authors. This is one of his daily devotions fitting for today. Merry Christmas everyone!Tony Holding On to the ChristLife is unpredictable. We can be happy one day and sad the next, healthy one day and sick the next, rich one day and poor the next, alive one day and dead the next. So who is there to hold on to? Who is there to feel secure with? Who is there to trust at all times?Only Jesus, the Christ. He is our Lord, our shepherd, our rock, our stronghold, our refuge, our brother...
The Father's Love…It is not reserved for those who are well-known mystics or for those who do wonderful things for the poor… [It is for] those poor enough to welcome Jesus. It is for people living ordinary lives and who feel lonely. It is for all those who are old, hospitalized or out of work, who open their hearts in trust to Jesus and cry out for his healing love. – Jean VanierExert from: Brennan Manning - the furious longing of God
More and more everyday I am grateful for the saving grace that is mine and for us all through Christ Jesus. The reason is because I’m becoming more aware on a day-by-day basis of how much I need a Savior and not just day by day, but quite literally, on a moment-to-moment basis. My problem has been one that is paramount to a lot of Christians and not just to myself, and that is, acceptance. Accepting that which we cannot do for ourselves. We enjoy and even pride ourselves on being self-made in our jobs, education...
Henri Nouwen was a great thinker and follower of Jesus. I love how he is able to convey deep thoughts that stir the heart and mind with just a few words. Listen to what he has to say today. The Wounded Healer Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not "How can we hide our wounds?" so we don't have to be embarrassed, but "How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?" When our wounds cease to be a source of...
This is an excerpt from Eugene Peterson's book, "Traveling Light" where he describes the definition of the word Gospel. It is the unexpected, fresh, surprising good news that God is not angry or indifferent or impersonal, but that God loves us and has provided the means for our salvation. That love and that salvation are at the center of absolutely everything, and from that center all of life is lived.
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This is a blog I wrote about a year ago and thought I would post here again. These are Just Thoughts. John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.We often put unnecessary weight on our friends by requiring that they fulfill some need we might have in our life. We might say, “I need you to be this for me, or to do that for me”. The list can be incessant. But in essence, the demands we place...
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