Radically Happy

  • Hope Grieves (How to Forgive)

    What if our enemy 
Who can kill our body 
Only strengthens 
Our soul

  • Refresh Focus

    We get wrapped up 
In the pain of reality 
And lose our peace Or avoid that pain 
Seeking comfort in God 
And lose the assignment 
God called us to live out

  • Preparing to See God’s Glory

    We long for God’s radiant glory But rarely remember How much it terrifies Those who experience it Maybe we need To build up our endurance By training our eyes Or our hearts To see the depths of our sin And His grace So that we can bear to be around…

  • Dream: Dark Depths

    “It is almost like there is a concerted effort To destroy our communication 
By someone who understands our weakness 
Better than we do ourselves!” The enemy knows
All our weaknesses 
They literally swim in emotions
Manipulation is second nature to them

  • Fruit of the Spirit vs Veggies of the Law/Jellies of the Flesh

    Perhaps like you, I had subconsciously assumed that Fruit of the Spirit meant I myself was feeling more love, joy, peace, etc. But once I reimagined Fruit as “experiences we give others that contain the seed of Christ,” I started to get really excited.

  • Immanuel Encounter: Into the Woods

    I am in the woods at IVCF camp in Massachusetts At the moonlit lake I remember from my college days Jesus is there I am seven years old It is daytime I wish we could stay like this forever Young Innocent Happy

  • The Amygdala Gospel: Rewiring How We Grow Closer to Jesus

    When Jesus said we must deny ourselves, I think He meant the amygdala.

  • Mary’s Christmas: A Lament

    O God, why me? 
Why does it have to be me? 
Why did you have to choose me?

  • Addiction, Alcohol and The Law

    Drinking alcohol may not be a sin, but it certainly is a coping mechanism I need to be careful about. There is always a risk of turning to that instead of Christ. Unfortunately, the same can be said of the Law: the religious, psychological, and social structures I rely on…

  • Socrates Evangelion (Beyond “Apology”)

    A powerfully-built young man stands on the walls of Athens. His face is torn between Hope and Sorrow. He has clearly been there a while, staring into the west as the sun sets. Finally he sighs and turns to return home. Just before he descends he glances back for one…

  • Dream: Leadership Train. Ing.

    I am on a people-mover Like a train of roller-coaster cars But we are stopped on level ground At least for a moment Each car represents a different level of leadership I am in the third or fourth Perhaps moving from third to fourth

  • Dream: Excess Baggage (On Christian Unity)

    I had three or four unrelated but equally intense conversations yesterday with people I am close to.
The unifying thread seems to be that everyone desperately wants unity
– but usually on their terms.

  • Dream: Restoration

    I want them to accept me
Because being a Christian
Is supposed to be
About loving sinners into Jesus

  • Socrates Repents (An Alternative “Apology”)

    [I realize this looks like (and probably is) a harsh critique of the most revered figure in philosophy (Hat Tip to Taleb for stating it first). But I didn’t write it about him. I wrote it about me.]

  • Owned Stewards

    To be a steward Isn’t just not Being an owner It is also Having an owner

  • DRAFT: Fruit Of the Cross

    As Christians, we all want to live and love more like Jesus. But books, sermons, Bible study, quiet times, and even counseling only get us so far. To fully address our strongholds, woundedness and blind spots requires encountering Jesus in a supportive community that models how to deny ourselves, take…

  • Pam’s Story: Chronic Pain, Anxiety, and the New Creation (reblogged from “A Word of Substance”)

    My question became: “Is this my life until I die? “That was very sobering. I really struggled to hear God’s good voice over the voices of fear and anxiety and depression because it seemed so utterly helpless and that God was not acting in any way whatsoever. “ “ Pam’s…

  • Effective Word

    There is no effect without affect

  • Prayer Bears

    The primary job of prayer Is that love we bear We may think we care Yet we rarely dare To give more than our share

  • Redeeming Ares, Part 2: In Dio Veritas

    Redeeming Ares, Part 2: In Dio Veritas

    E. Oh, the usual. Epic quest to save my civilization, soul, & family. I imagine you get a lot of that around here. D. Aye, but these days not so much as you’d think. Nowadays most such folks head East. They figure the Western well has all but run dry.…