Here’s the writer’s dilemma in a quick haiku: Sit before your screen. An empty file. No words come. You curse the cursor. It is writing that makes you a writer. Having ideas only makes you want to be one. To be a writer you have to make words come out: turn thoughts into letters, string them […]
Three Keys to Spiritual Maturity: A Lenten Reflection
What qualities define spiritual maturity? It is a good thing to reflect on at any time: know what the target is and you have a better chance of moving toward it. I’ve been recommending people think about the question now, in Lent, following the model of Thomas Hooker, 17th century Puritan and founder of Connecticut. […]
The Secret to a Life-Giving Lent
Here’s the paradox: Lent is a serious season, but it is part of a joyful process. Here’s the problem: The stereotypical approach to Lent does nothing for either side of the paradox. You know what I mean. People pick something to “give up for Lent” and they are done. Nothing very serious. Nothing very joyful. […]
The Little Known Secret to Seeing God at Work
Last week I posted on John Beadle, the English Puritan who wrote the first book on journal keeping as a spiritual discipline back in 1656. It is an odd book — Beadle could have used a good editor. It is also a wise book — he has excellent advice that can make journaling a fantastic […]
One Key Step toward a Life of Gratitude
In 1656, English Puritan John Beadle published a book on keeping a journal as a spiritual discipline: The Journal or Diary of a Thankful Christian. To his knowledge and mine, his book was the first on the topic. Ever since, I suppose, Christians have fallen into two camps: Those who like to write in journals and those […]