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A new Bible, a new journal, a new page,
a new day, a new start, a new age —
So much newness! So much hope! Unspoken fear!
Can I really and truly change in this new year?
Growth has happened, progress made, but oh! how slow!
God prepares his people with patience — Yes, Lord, I know!

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We’ll do a biblical three, yea, four sequence.

Ed Mathews has a year-long daily devotional in PDF format, highly recommended, plus other study materials you should check out. It’s what I read. Biblically based, meaty without being dense, practical.

WAVE is “self-help for coping with overwhelming cravings and compulsions,” not spiritually based, but you might find some practical ideas. Continue reading →

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O Lord, can clay complain to the Potter?
And say, Why did you make me this way?
Why did you treat me in this manner?
Why do I not have the shape or color
Of that beautiful, privileged pot? Why not
A better quality of clay for me?

Of course not! So why do I question
Your wisdom, smolder resentful,
And pout at my defects—‘Poor me!’
I do. You know I do. And still
You work to mold me, ungrateful vessel
That I am. In fear, I wonder:

Might you tomorrow decide to quit,
Abandon this clay, and start anew?

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A few times people have asked me how I manage to do all the things I do.

Having all the kids gone from home helps, of course. And I have a devoted wife who picks up a lot of the slack and allows me time to write and work. But there’s more.

We live simply, with fewer of life’s distractions. We could do better here, but we’re working on it. Continue reading →

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Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.”
Mark 4:26 NLT

We think of farming as something risky, even dangerous. Some people even call it a gamble, erroneously. One never knows if the seed will germinate, if the plant will grow, if the fruit will appear. So many factors, so many unknowns. Continue reading →