Several years ago, a figure skating coach I know decided—after 20 years of teaching—he would start training to compete again. That winter, every time I was at the rink, I watched him practice. He pushed himself to train, every single day, for months on end. Finally, the big day came. He travelled halfway across the country to compete against other highly accomplished adult skaters at Nationals. But soon after arriving, he experienced a crushing blow. His back gave out, and he spent the entire event in pain, watching from the stands as a spectator. In hindsight, he realized he had over-trained,…
In a Reader’s Digest article recapping interviews of couples married 40, 50, or even 60 years, all said similarly that despite their shared history together, they were still changing, growing, and learning new things about each other. A big factor to their marriages’ longevity was developing good communication skills. Most happily married couples will tell you that they have learned to listen to their spouse—(not “agree” but “listen.”) Relationship is not a one-way monologue, but an ongoing shared dialogue. What about our relationship with the Creator of the universe? Learning to know Him and listening to hear His voice…
Last summer I had the joy of sitting in a class at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference taught by James Watkins. I immediately sensed him as a man who deeply loves the Lord and desires to live for Him. This month I’ve been enjoying a new book compiled and edited by Watkins called The Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today’s Language by Thomas à Kempis. For five hundred years à Kempis’ devotional classic has brought wisdom and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages—second only to the Bible in sales! Watkins’ new paraphrased version has “modern and inclusive language…
In a recent interview on Christian radio, world-renowned vocal artist Wintley Phipps talked about his rise from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most celebrated gospel singers of our time. Phipps is a two-time Grammy award nominee, has sung in Billy Graham crusades, and performed for six American presidents. His rendition of Amazing Grace has upward of 7 million views on YouTube. His secret to success may surprise you. “To be successful in anything, we must begin by preparing our hearts with stillness and prayer,” Phipps said. He says the key to all the successes God has allowed him…
Have you ever considered that our greatest need is stillness? In our wildly accelerating world, our lives are perpetually overloaded, chaotic, and noisy. The demands of daily life, coupled with our devices constantly informing, entertaining, and distracting us, lead us to a place of endless inner buzz. We become increasingly desperate to slow down, unplug, and seek quiet—but find it foreign and elusive. Did God intend that we push stillness out of our lives to the degree that we no longer experience His presence? That we love and serve the god of busy instead of Him? Without a smartphone, even Jesus…
