version

The Long Version

The disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). One way to pray is played out in most 12-Step meetings. We recite the Serenity Prayer. But we usually only recite the short version. There is more: God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the…

keys

Keys to Sobriety

There are fundamental factors to success in addiction recovery. Dr. Denise Fournier, professor at Nova Southeastern University, has identified six such factors. It is important to follow the formula that has always worked. That includes a commitment to each of these six factors. We need the persistence of Job: “My feet have closely followed his…

daughter

Daughter

In Mark 5 we read the story of Jesus healing the woman with the issue of blood. She risked everything by crowding her way to Jesus. Her reward? She was healed physically. But there is much more to the story. Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you” (Mark 5:34).  That was the only…

broke

You Broke It

Have you ever been in a store that posts numerous signs that read, “Break it and you pay for it”?  These signs are often found in stores which sell a lot of glass, pottery, or other breakable objects. We tend to walk around very carefully, to make sure we don’t touch anything. No one wants…

noise

Noise

“No one would distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise” (Ezra 3:13). Noise is a problem – a growing problem. Let’s talk about noise. Twenty-nine percent of the U.S. population is exposed to excessive transportation noise, as compared to just four percent…

presence

The Divine Presence

1 Samuel 3:19 “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him.” Is there anything better that we could ever pray for our children or grandchildren than that? That as our children grow, the Lord would be with them? Nothing matters more than the abiding presence of God. In his classic work, Experiencing the Presence…