What causes your conflicts with others?  Do they most often come from differences or from misunderstandings?  When discrepancies are real, how often do they need to become areas of conflict or battle lines?…

If you have a desire to grow in your faith, I have good news for you.  Your spiritual hunger is an indication that God is at work in your life.  The invisible God is drawing you closer to Himself.  Your hunger is a sign of life.  If you are not satisfied with your spiritual life, that is a good sign - it means you want more…

We all believe - or at least have been told - that God answers prayer, but is it true? I think the best answer might be, "Yes and No."

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We have all had instances when we thought we understood what was happening, only later to find out that we had actually seriously misread the situation.  Maybe we misinterpreted someone's facial expressions or emotions, or found out that we only had some of the facts.  Whatever the case, our misunderstandings usually lead us to wrong conclusions.…

Do you ever struggle with whether you are good enough?  You may ask, "Good enough for what?"  The exact content or context of the question might not matter.  The question for many is a deep (and often relentless and harping) question of identity.  Are you good enough?

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We all want to get better, don't we?  In fact most of us are trying in most areas of our lives to get better.  It's part of our cultural way of thinking.  We think things are supposed to work better, faster and more precisely.  In the recesses of our minds, most of us even believe we are getting faster and stronger and smarter - and that aging is not really affecting us that much.…

Did you know that God wants you to have a full and fruitful life?  It's true.  Jesus said He came that we might have life, and have it to the full.  (John 10:10)  He came to give us access to and experience of abundant life.  Jesus also told His disciples that they did not choose Him, He chose them and appointed them - to go and bear fruit that would last. (John 15:16)  He wants us to live…

Have you ever been to a child's play practices? They can be a torturous experience. You can't help but wonder whether anyone is paying attention let alone whether they will ever be able to learn their roles. Chaos reigns until the day of dress rehearsal. Finally, the children are paying attention. They may not (and all too often don't) know their roles, but at dress rehearsal there is a good…

Does it seem to you that everyone is more tired than they used to be? Maybe this is just the perception one who is looking through an aging lens, but it might be based on some growing realities in our culture.…

I often see a woman from my neighborhood taking walks around the pond. She has one toddler that is either in a stroller or toddling along side, a baby in a harness snuggled up against her chest, a large dog on a leash and a satchel full of snacks, toys and diaper-changing paraphernalia. Clearly it takes her quite a while to get everything together for these trips…

One of Aesop's best-known fables is the story of the goose that laid golden eggs. A man and his wife owned a special goose that laid golden eggs. They became impatient one day and decided they didn't want to wait any longer for the goose to lay the eggs. So, they decided to cut the goose open, and get all the eggs at once. However, when they opened the goose, they…