Could you hear me, if I told you codependency is only a symptom? The way you choose to respond to a relationship or depend on a relationship is learned. Learned really? Yes! You learned it really early in your life with your primary caregivers. Now as with all learned behaviors you can blame, shame and…
jesus
Searching and Fearless: Step 4 The Work Begins
“Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself.” Lots of folks stop here. This means work–lots of work. It is not all bad. Stopping to look over your life will bring up all of it, the good, bad and the ugly. Courage, my friend, this is where a lot of folks get caught in the…
Do You Increase Giving When You Start Making More Money?
When your income expands, do you increase giving? As Christians, we are taught to give 10% of our income to the church. So the simple answer would be yes. But is that really what Jesus intended? At 26, Gregory Baumer, Co-Author of God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches At Harvard Business School,…
Who Should Give, When to Give, How to Give As A Christian
Giving is an often a hidden and tricky subject even in the halls of our churches. Churches call it stewardship; the secular world calls it charitable giving. As Christians what is our responsibility to God and community in the areas of giving? This post is part of a multipart series on giving and tithing after…
Why Good Christians Should NOT Tithe
I had been tithing for a while. Trying to stay in the 1O% range. In fact, I made a deal with God. I tithe faithfully on all of it and He blesses my business. Right? Malachi 3:9. Test me an see that I won’t bring all that into the storehouse. Tithing regularly to our home…
How to Hide Scripture in Your Heart Gift Guide
When you hide scripture in your heart it often pops out at the right times. Have you ever noticed how often Jesus says to those who are asking him something “it is written.” When the devil tempts him, Jesus replies, “it is written”, when the Pharisees accuse him he says “is it not written,” when…
A Crazy Thing Happened On the Way to The Offering Plate
A little boy in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed around the offering plates. When they came near his pew, the boy said loudly, “Don’t pay for me, Daddy, I’m under five.” Pin This Post for Later! Why Do Christians Take an Offering In the old testament, the Jews were under Mosaic…
Jesus Popped off the Cross, Again
Maybe it is just a cheap cross, but He is gone again. Maybe Jesus went on walk-about in Africa or wading through a rice field in Japan or lost in a sea of people in downtown London. I am not sure where He goes, but this is not the first time that I can’t…
Most Remote Monastery In Americas
My pilgrimages to the distant desert location started in the late 90’s. A friend spoke mystically about a remote monastery called Christ in the Desert in New Mexico. In college a world religion professor invited all his students to experience one night in a monastery in Southwest Missouri. I have forgotten the name of the…
Worried About Ghosts?
Elijah, noticing the name of Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center was a little worried about ghosts. My biggest fear in traveling with my children happened yesterday. Camping on Ghost Ranch, NM we just enjoyed dinner and an evening swim followed by a trip to the children’s area of Ghost Ranch’s always open library. Darkness…