Reader, Advent is not just a journey towards Christmas Day and the arrival of the Christ Child. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s also a journey towards the shortest—and therefore darkest—day of the year. This growing darkness is palpable. It’s there when we wake in the morning. It accompanies us on our commutes, whether we’re going to work or returning home. It saps our strength. Our bodies feel the darkness, instinctively prompting us to turn in for the night when...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, It's not easy to live in a state of anticipation. Children feel this truth keenly. It’s hard for them to keep their hands off the presents under the tree. It’s even harder for them to be on a road trip, demonstrated by their repeated questioning: “Are we there yet?” As adults, we smile condescendingly at these behaviors. We no longer feel such pangs of anticipation. In our minds, we’ve matured and outgrown them. But that’s not true. Our lack of feeling in this area is not a sign of...
15 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, Do you remember how much fun Christmas was when you were a kid? Sometime in November, Christmas lights appeared along the eaves of your neighbors’ homes. Your mom began playing the Christmas radio station when she took you to and from school. By the time December 1st rolled around, you could hardly contain yourself. Christmas was coming, with the promise of festivities and presents, and you had a whole month to bask in this season of cheer. Now here’s another question: when’s the last...
28 days ago • 3 min read
Reader, When N.T. Wright was working on Simply Jesus, his wife wanted to know why he was writing another book on Jesus. It was a reasonable question: he had already written a couple of lengthy books about Christ. "Has Jesus changed?" she asked him. His response was simple: “No. But I have.” Any kind of healthy growth happens in stages. Babies don’t come out of the womb walking, reading the news, and day trading. For a while, they just lie there, completely dependent on others for everything....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Reader, Christian psychologist Dan Allender believes something audacious: You have been so uniquely designed by God that there is something about him that only you can reveal to the rest of us. The first time I heard Allender say that, I couldn't help but scoff. Really? I thought. I can reveal something about who God is that no one else can see without me? That’s borderline ridiculous. But the more I sat with it, the more I saw Allender's point. In general, I think we can all agree that God's...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Reader, Spiritual work is always experiential: if you want to grow, you must be willing to try new things. This reality is often uncomfortable. We'd rather take an academic approach — pick up a new book, perhaps, or listen to a sermon from one of our favorite preachers. There's obviously nothing wrong with books or sermons, but if that's all we do to grow, we're going to be sorely disappointed. My mentor Jack often reminded me that "education does not result in transformation." It's useful,...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader, When I first developed the Living with Heart program, I didn't think of it as a potential tool for couples. Did I believe that people's marriages would be impacted if they went through this program? Absolutely, and the feedback has consistently proven that belief. I just considered it to be a program for individuals. In fact, this mindset was so strong that Plumline's policy initially prohibited couples from attending the same group. But over the years, people kept asking me if they...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Reader, How well do you know your soul? If you're like many modern Christians, the word "soul" feels abstract and ethereal. You know you have one, but you're not quite sure what—let alone where!—it is. But what if I told you that your soul, when healthy, is perhaps the most grounded part of your spiritual makeup? Would you believe me? As a refresher, we're in the middle of a series about the four parts of our spiritual anatomy and the characters that can help us better understand what's going...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, Last week, I introduced the characters that describe the 4 parts of our spiritual anatomy. If you need a refresher: The heart part of you is a Loving Companion The soul part of you is a Visionary Guide The mind part of you is a Strategic Overseer The strength part of you is a Driven Warrior In my years of doing this work, I've noticed a common tendency: people often tell me, "I don't have this one or that one." But that is a false assumption. You have them all, though some may be...
3 months ago • 2 min read