Ministry burnout; despair; discouragement. This 3-headed monster and its ugly cousins usually come visit me when I ponder how much “bad” is out there in contrast to my ability to do anything about it. The Bible commands me to do something about it, but that can’t mean I’m to live in debilitating despair, right? Because […]
Turning Anxiety into Worship: Why I’m Thankful for My Depression
[Photo credit: EKG Technician Salary] I hate my depression. But I’m thankful for it. While not always related, anxiety and depression usually go hand in hand like onion breath and flatulence. I get anxious over the things I want to control but can’t, then get depressed whenever things feel out of control. There are a […]
The Crushing Weight of Waiting
I am a product of my culture. We all are. A microwaved, instant, lightning fast, on demand, hurried, frantic, now culture. I hate waiting. Not only do I hate waiting, it exposes me. When I’m going really fast, I’m such a blur that you can’t get a good look at me. I can’t get a […]
What Does the Bible Say About Ministry Success?
What Does the Bible Say About Ministry Success? Worshiping Ministry Success like Gideon’s Golden Ephod Gideon is most well known for using the moisture level of a fleece to determine if God wanted him to attack an army or not. All in all, he is typically known as one of the good guys, someone who […]
Worshiping an Uncool God in a Cool Culture
The USA Today section of my Lansing State Journal has an article in it with the startling title “Multitasking teens pick texting over sleeping.” The article goes on to say how teens spend around 9 hours a day on “entertainment media” which includes social media, music, gaming or online videos, (i.e. time on their smart […]
How God Uses Failure to Protect Us, Mold Us & Mature Us
Look back on your life at the times you learned the deepest lessons. Look back on your life at the times you were most desperate for God. Look back on your life at the times you accused God of abandoning or neglecting you. There’s a good chance that the memories that come to mind here […]