Category: SPIRITUAL GROWTH

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SETTLING FOR LESS

I wanted more from God, but I settled for less of Him. I threw myself into teaching more women, leading more choirs, organizing more musical performances, and obtaining more education. If one receives a medal for “More”, I would have won it. At the same time, I spent less time being still. There I was, running hellbent toward the cliff’s edge of busyness, regardless of the cost. My husband was a pastor. We spent every Sunday proclaiming hope while quietly wondering where ours went. If you expected us to jump higher, we did so. We thought this was what God wanted and settled for it.

I settled for less quiet, less time with our sons, and fewer dates with my spouse. Worst of all, I settled for less of God. I did, and I did, and I did for years. Looking back, I don’t know how I sustained the pace. You name it, it was probably on my resume. The price was high: damaged relationships, continual exhaustion, and stolen joy. Someone said, “If the devil can make you do bad, he will make you do busy.” I thought I was getting to know Jesus better. I was busy, but I knew Him less.

And then God gradually swept it all away beginning in 2011. The pastorate went up in smoke, my deep involvement in directing and teaching music faded away, and women’s ministry exited with the church. And there we were, the calendar empty. Our busyness turned to ashes.

What did God do? Where was He amidst this? I know what I wanted Him to do: to fill our lives with all the activities we had before. God didn’t listen to me. Instead, He pulled me further and deeper toward the solitary life. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is hard for someone who is a creative workaholic. I cried. God laughed. He finally caught my attention.

God tugged and lugged me into Himself. It was not a pretty sight. I resisted and wanted my calendar full. My heart grieved with a lack of purpose. What was my identity? That’s when I began taking long walks. I printed out verses and memorized them. “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:1-2). God told me to wait. He irritated and annoyed me. Slowly, He untangled my iron grip around my former life so I could grasp the fuller life. I thought that busyness was more. In God’s eyes, it was less.

On paper, my present life appears empty in comparison. Rarely am I on stage, I don’t run marathon music programs, the number of women I disciple is limited, and my voice is muted. Surprisingly, I find my new life far richer than the old. I spend time with Jesus, not because I’m preparing to teach a Bible study, but because Jesus and I are having coffee together. I talk to Him, not because it is the expected thing to do, but because He is the One Who constantly loves me. His words pull and stretch me far beyond my comfort zone; they are amazing. I write for hours, not because my audience is huge, but His voice whispers to me. I coach writers not because I’m the best teacher, but because others also need to discover their voices. The quiet of this path is right where He wants me.

All those years, I settled for less. Thank God, He robbed me of activity and gave me Himself.

Click to read more about how “being still” can impact your life.

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WHAT TO PLACE ON THE ALTAR

How do you behave in adversity? II Chronicles 20:1-30 records a dire situation. Messengers arrive and report to Judah’s King Jehoshaphat: “’A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from the direction of Edom’…Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice. He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. The people of Judah assembled to ask for the Lord’s help; they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help.”

CONNECTION TO FASTING

The Kingdom of Judah is in danger of being annihilated and Jehoshaphat’s solution is to abstain from lunch? Avoid Chick-Fil-A? What is the practice of fasting? “Fasting is not about manipulating God. It will not cause God to do something that is outside of His will. Fasting is about changing yourself to be in agreement with God’s plan and to be prepared to carry out your role in His plan.” In my last post I wrote about placing things of God’s altar. A great way to prepare yourself is to fast. Get your mind off your everyday appetites and center on God. Fasting can do this.

LAYING FEAR ON THE ALTAR

Jehoshaphat prays an honest prayer, “We are powerless against this huge army that attacks us. We don’t know what we should do; we look to You for help.” He lays the battle before God. Then he has the faith to tell his people, “Don’t be afraid and don’t panic because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s.…you will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!”

NO TYPICAL ACTION MOTIVE

This is not like any action movie I have ever seen. God is on the move and not soldiers frantically manning the guns, crossing hoping against hope for a good outcome. This is a different approach to warfare. Hearts are prepared by fasting and centered on God. They lay their fears on the altar.

RUNNING TO WORSHIP

Shouldn’t the people instead run to the armory??? No, “Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground, and all the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord and worshiped him”. Notice, their fighting positions are not upright, but they are face down before the Lord. They run to worship. Hearts are placed on the altar.

THE PEOPLE SING AND GOD FIGHTS

I love the next part. Jehoshaphat “met with the people and appointed musicians to play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched ahead of the warriors they said: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal love endures.’ When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked.” Did you notice Who attacks the enemy and wins the battle? It is God!

RETURN TO THE ALTAR

Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat leading them; the Lord had given them reason to rejoice over their enemies.  They entered Jerusalem to the sound of stringed instruments and trumpets and proceeded to the temple of the Lord.   They return to where it all began. At the altar.

HE PLEADS FOR YOU AT THE ALTAR

What battles are you engaged in? Are you exhausted, alone and beyond all hope? Has Satan gotten the upper hand? Come to the altar. Place your burden down. Remember the observation of Thomas Brooks, “A humble soul is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan’s hell.” Proclaim with centuries of believers: “Christ is my advocate, my strength, and my Redeemer, and He will plead for me.”

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LAY IT AT THE ALTAR

A large church in Florida impresses me every time they end a service. Intentionally, time is left after the sermon for people to come forward to kneel and pray.  Common place individuals visibly respond to the Word of God and to the Uncommon God. They lay their hearts open to the Holy Spirit, some for conversion and others hand over the direction of their lives and circumstances to God. Both hearts and wills are placed on the altar.

BUILDING AN ALTAR IN THE MIDST OF FEAR

An altar is mentioned in Ezra chapter three, the first public structure built by the Jews returning from the 70 year exile. “They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings.” The destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. left an indelible psychological and spiritual imprint upon the Jews. Persian King Cyrus the Great miraculously gave them permission to return to their home country to rebuild the Temple. However, deadly adversaries surrounded the returning people. The returnees had good reason to be afraid. Yet they built an altar. Shouldn’t they first build fortifications and barricades against their foes?

WHAT IS AN ALTAR?

The answer is: they did.  They laid their hearts on God’s altar. “An altar represents a person’s desire to consecrate himself fully to the Lord. Every human heart has an invisible altar where the war between the flesh and the spirit rages. When we surrender areas of our lives to the control of the Holy Spirit, we are in effect laying that area on the altar before God.” God can then build fortifications and barricades against our foes. The spiritual battle we engage in becomes God’s battle. It is no longer ours alone.

CHRIST WILL PLEAD FOR ME

Thomas Brooks wrote: “A humble soul being once in a great conflict with Satan said to Satan: ‘Satan, reason not with me—I am but weak. If you have anything to say, say it to Christ; He is my advocate, my strength, and my Redeemer, and He will plead for me.’ A humble soul is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan’s hell.” Thomas Brooks (1608-1670) was a puritan who wrote one of the best works on temptations and Satan’s onslaught against the Christian soul. He knew firsthand about going to battle and laying everything on the altar before God.

COME TO THE ALTAR

Is the battle too much for you? Do you feel exhausted, alone and beyond all hope? Has Satan gotten the upper hand? Come to the altar. Place your burden down. Remember, “a humble soul is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan’s hell.” Proclaim with centuries of believers: “Christ is my advocate, my strength, and my Redeemer, and He will plead for me.”

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MY ADOPTION

Does your mind ever wander down deep rabbit holes and land on past experiences?  For me, some of those memories are good, where my mind loves to linger.    Then there are times when painful memories pop up from the shadows.

TRIP DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

Recently, I experienced one of those ugly trips down a rabbit hole.  I remembered speaking before thinking and unintentionally hurting a friend.  The echoes of that memory left me feeling yucky, simply yucky.  I can’t think of a better word to describe the gnawing in the pit of my gut mixed with deep regret.  The incident that evoked such emotion happened years ago and was resolved. But there I was, remembering the sickening feelings again, as if the incident had just occurred.

FEELINGS OF SHAME

However, something changed this time.  As the yucky emotions threatened to smother me, the Holy Spirit helped me identify those feelings as SHAME! Now, it would be legitimate to feel this way if I hadn’t asked for forgiveness. But I had, and there was no reason to keep reliving it.  Doesn’t God forget our confessed transgressions? 

WHAT GOD SAYS

This was worth investigating, leading me to look up some verses on God’s forgiveness.  Here are just a few:

Isaiah 43:25 – “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and remembers   your sins no more.”

Jeremiah 31:34b & Hebrews 8:12 – “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

MY IDENTITY

Not only are my sins are completely wiped away, but I remember who I am in Christ.  An adopted Child of God! “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16)

MY ADOPTION CERTIFICATE

Adoptive parents strongly desire to adopt.  They look forward to the day with great anticipation. The adoption certificate proves whose family the child now belongs to.  Scripture states that those who put their faith in Jesus are adopted into God’s family according to His will!  Our sins are wiped clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is our spiritual adoption certificate. 

I now carry in my heart my spiritual adoption certificate.  When shame tries to creep in, I remember who I am in Jesus.  He paid too high of a price for me to continue living with those yucky feelings of shame. My Abba Father declares proudly that I am His, and His alone.

AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST

Are you an adopted child of God who becomes trapped in the rabbit hole of shame? It is an issue that needs to be dealt with. Remember the Lord urges us to confess and turn our backs on sin. If you are feeling shame long after you experienced forgiveness, you too have a spiritual adoption certificate. Our Abba Father is the One who blots out our transgressions for His own sake. He remembers our sins no more. “As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so He removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) This is the wonderful freedom of being fully forgiven in Christ Jesus.

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WHILE THE CAT’S AWAY…

I remember as a student, when the teacher was out of the classroom we children often had a field day. obedience was lip service only. In Neh. 10:28-39, the people publicly commit to keep and observe all the commandments of God. A group of leaders also sign and submit a document committing themselves to obeying the Lord and keeping His laws (Neh. 9:38). The way to hell is paved with lip service and good intentions.

NEHEMIAH RETURNS AND IS HORRIFIED

In Nehemiah 13:4-31, Nehemiah is called back to Persia, for about two years. The teacher is “out of the classroom.” What a surprise awaits Nehemiah when the King allows Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem. The teacher returns and is horrified.

SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG

“While the cat’s away, the mice will play.” The Jews have been busy playing away. The High Priest, Eliashib, sets up Tobiah, archenemy of both Nehemiah and God with a business office in the holy Temple. Tobiah’s designated space is the storeroom dedicated to hold the Temple articles and offerings. During Nehemiah’s absence, the people stopped bringing their tithes and offerings to the Levites. Eliashib is pragmatic and lends the space to Tobiah. Eliashib’s former declarations of reverence and obedience to God are empty words. Denied a living wage from the tithes, the Levites gradually leave their Temple duties and return home to farm. Something is seriously wrong with this picture! Sounds like both mice and rats are playing away.

Nehemiah learns about Tobiah. How could things have gone downhill so quickly? He tosses Tobiah out the Temple doors and restores the room to its designated use: storage of Temple articles and offerings. With their wages restored, the Levites can return to their dedicated service in the Temple.

GOD RELAGATED TO A STORAGE CLOSET

But there is more. Nehemiah looks out his window on the Sabbath and notices people back to their old tricks of doing business on God’s day. What busy people! Treading grapes, transporting merchandise, and buying fish. They forget God is their Provider alone and worthy of worship. Commerce comes first. They spiritually relegate God to a storage closet. Maybe they think, “We have bills to pay, and God surely isn’t going to mind if we stop giving. We must take care of ourselves first and possibly give God something if there is anything left over.” The mice play away without regard of God.

THE MICE TAKE NO NOTICE OF GOD

Nehemiah goes into action. He orders locking the city’s gates at the beginning of Sabbath and unlocking them at the end of Sabbath. Can you hear the resentment of the businessmen? How dare Nehemiah shut down their busiest day? They forget their promise of allegiance to God alone. The mice take no notice of God.

HEARTS RUNNING ASTRAY

Nehemiah also notices the voices of children in the city, but the language is not Hebrew. The language belongs to heathen women again invited into marriage with the Jews. Don’t the people remember what had happened to King Solomon’s heart when he personally entered hundreds of such marriages? His heart ran astray. Nehemiah learns that a grandson of High Priest Eliashib made such an unholy alliance. The kicker is that the wife is Sanballat’s daughter. Sanballat was an even worse enemy than Tobiah.

Repeatedly Nehemiah prays in this chapter. Listen to the anguish in his prayers. During his previous twelve years with them, the people presented a veneer of goodness and obedience. The teacher was in the room. But once the teacher exits, the students’ true nature appears.

HANDING THE REINS OVER

Sin always crouches at the door. Satan is a roaring lion, the thief and destroyer. It is easy to sign a piece of paper and say one will live for Christ. It is quite another to daily choose to take God seriously and consistently live for Him alone. Unless we hand the reins of our lives over to the Holy Spirit, things go down fast. Don’t be the mouse that plays away. Let the Holy Spirit consistently live and guide in the classroom of your heart.

Click to read more about walking with the Spirit.

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DO YOU WANT TO BE UPENDED?

“Do you want to get well?” was the question posed by the stranger in John 5:1-14. The question took the disabled man off guard. 38 years of his life spent not being able to walk. No hope of a cure. Of course he would love to be able to walk! But what if Jesus rephrased the question to “Do you want your entire life upended?” Upended means “set or turned on its end or upside down”. Did the man truly want his life turned upside down by Jesus?  

EVERYTHING CHANGED AT A PRICE

Being upended can be both painful and glorious. Jesus upended/transformed our lives beginning with Bill’s initial hospitalization November 25th, 2025. Everything changed at a price. I find being transformed by God is both simultaneously agonizing and wonderful. It depends on which day of the week you ask me on how my emotions respond. Some days I am like Job’s wife, face turned backwards to the past, yet God yanks me forward. So glad that God chooses His best not based upon my emotional state.

HEALING IS MESSY

At this point, we realize Bill’s illness is complicated. Great variables continue to play out with the specialists. Healing is messy in many ways. Jesus apparently thought there was more to the disabled man’s healing than whether the guy’s legs worked. Jesus says (and this also may sound abrupt), “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man had spiritual disabilities in need of healing.

DECREPIT AND FRAIL

All of us carry our sin sickness inside, hidden away from prying eyes. Jesus wants to open the windows and expose me. Why can’t He just close the blinds, especially on those days where I am both decrepit and frail? I ask for more than physical healing. I am upended.

HE DRAWS ME DEEPER

I might not have the strength to get the dishes done, go to the store, or stand for extensive periods of time, but God continues to draw me into greater and deeper conversations with Him. God talks slowly to me as I am both slow and dull-witted in understanding and obeying.

NO MORE TIMID PRAYERS

No more timid tiny prayers. This is the season for banging on the gates of Heaven. Claiming victories yet to unfold in living a transformed life. I want to be transformed by God. “Transformation” means “change or renewal from a life that no longer conforms to the ways of the world to one that pleases God” (Romans 12:2) I beg God to upend me.

Are you also willing to be upended by God?

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DARK AND LONELY NIGHTS

3 AM, I lay in the hospital bed, waiting for the nurse to interrupt with a visit for a blood pressure check, respiratory treatment, or blood sugar check. It is a very lonely time. I do not know if the readings from my last blood tests are improving.  Or are the numbers climbing even higher, causing my stay in the hospital to be prolonged? At that moment I feel alone. All the encouraging comments like “It’ll be alright Bill” or “You’ll be out of here in no time” ring hollow. The darkness of the silent hospital room consumes me with thoughts of despair and doubt.

I CANNOT SEE A WAY OUT

My faith is tested, and I cannot see a way out.  I feel shame. After all, I was the preacher who for the last 30 years told others: “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. Do I believe this? Is any of this working out?

GLIMPSES INTO THE REASON FOR THE HOSPITAL BED

Then God begins to show me glimpses into why He is allowing this crisis to come upon my life. He starts to turn this period of self-doubt and discouragement into a time of hope and purpose. As I lay there feeling lonely and cast aside, a young nurse comes into the room ready to take my vitals. I initiate a conversation which turns into a lengthy talk regarding her Vietnamese mother and spirit worship. She tells me about how her mother worships the dead. She does not necessarily agree with her mom but does not know anything wrong with it. The Holy Spirit and my training in evangelism kick in. I begin to explain to her how Jesus is the only Savior any of us needs. He forgives sins no matter what we have done. A great conversation for a long, lonely night!

The next day, at about the same time early in the morning, I have another discussion with the head nurse (she also came to extract blood – a team sport!) We end up having a long conversation about her family and how God seems to be missing. Again, I share with her the hope of salvation and what Jesus means in my life. God is speaking to me and this dumb fool (Patient Bill) listens to Him. He shows just what His purpose is, and He wants to bring glory to Himself.

NOT ALONE!

Many nights I spent in the hospital wondering what was going to happen to me and how I fit into His overall plan. Finally, I realized that feeling lonely meant I was only thinking about myself. I wasn’t alone. The God of the Universe was right there, listening to me, watching everything I did, and prompting me into conversations with the people around me.

David reminds me: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2) My help comes from the Lord, not from those surrounding me. God beckons me to get me eyes off myself and my own situation regardless of how lonely and dark the nights are.

LET GOD USE EVEN THE DARK AND LONELY NIGHTS

Whenever you feel lonely, remember the Eternal One Who stands right beside you, regardless of the circumstances. Do not take as long as I did to realize that the situation might not be all about oneself, but about those surrounding us who need to know about the Maker of Heaven and earth. Let God use even the dark and lonely nights.

  • Note from Jacqui: This is the first completely new devotional which Bill has been able to write since his first hospitalization on November 25, 2025. Recovery has been very slow, but we want to thank those of you who have been praying for us, encouraged us, and have been asking God to use all of this for His glory.

Click for further reading regarding Romans 8:28

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HOW TO BE UNOFFENDABLE

WEEK #2

I have an amazing gift. In the middle of the night I can wake up and fully review the latest pain of the day. I then compose an entire plan in my head how I propose to respond to what hurt me. Wait! Did I say this is a gift? No, it is a curse. I lose a lot of sleep functioning this way.

INSOMNIA

AI says this insomnia can “cause significant mental, physical, and functional impairments, ranging from short-term fatigue and irritability to chronic, serious health conditions. Key effects include accidents.”  Did I include that I am accident prone?

THE TOXIC BREW

I use the excuse “This is the way I am wired.” In Week #1 of this series I referenced the book “Unoffendable“. Brant Hansen observes, “But regardless of how we feel, we can actually have a choice on how we respond. It doesn’t mean that we ignore the situation, but we can act without contempt, anger and bitterness.” Brant also admits, “I have lost a lot of sleep with anger and bitterness. I drank that toxic brew, and it percolates within me.”

MY EXCUSE

Life seems so much easier if I allow myself the excuse: “This is just the way I am wired.” However, God tells us to put down the mug of toxic brew. It should not be percolating in the middle of the night.

There are too many good and healthy paths my Shepherd wants to travel with me. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.” (Psalm 37:7-8)

Lord, help me to turn to Your paths…even in the middle of the night!

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SMALL GOD VERSUS HUGE GOD

She daily prays to her ancestors, especially to the ashes of her mom. The ashes fit conveniently in the small box in the household shrine. Her god is small.

Does the God you serve also fit in a box or is He the One described and celebrated in Nehemiah? It is easy to compact God into a convenient container of our own making.

WORLD HISTORY FROM GOD’S POINT OF VIEW

One of the most beautiful prayers in the Bible is Nehemiah 9. Read the chapter and underline everything you learn about Who God is. Take your time with this. World history is seen from God’s point of view. How many times is the pronoun “you” (in reference to God)? God does not fit into a tiny comfortable box. He is limitless.

Nehemiah chapter seven illustrated that building the exterior walls around the city of Jerusalem was not sufficient to secure the Jews’ future. In further chapters, the number of bodies inhabiting the city does not indicate the number of hearts given to God.

HEARTS DON’T CHANGE WITH A SMALL GOD

Consider a large church building with an excellent security system. It does not guarantee what size God fills parishioners’ hearts. Packing the building with hundreds of people only demonstrates occupancy. Hearts do not change if individuals believe in a small God.

3 EFFECTS OF A SMALL VIEW OF GOD

Read Nehemiah 10:28-39. Notice the three major effects the acknowledgment of God’s size makes on the Jewish people. First, they promise to “not give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or to take their daughters for our sons.” In context, the Jews restarted their lives from scratch after exile. Life for the refugees was hard. They longed for economic security. Making family ties with business clans helped families get ahead. Resorting to their own devices, Jewish fathers resorted to arranging marriages with unbelieving families in hopes of establishing prosperity. Regarding the scale of how big the fathers viewed God, their God is tiny and weak. They can’t trust Him to take care of their physical needs, so they resort to their own devices.

Next addressed is the issue of doing business on the Sabbath. Working seven days a week helps pay bills a struggling family’s bills. However, this view of God and the Sabbath demonstrates the belief that He is not to be trusted to take care of financial needs. The Jews neglected the one day of the week in which they are commanded to dedicate to worshipping a Huge God.

Last addressed, where is the money going from all these endeavors? Times are hard. People neglect giving God the first part of their income. They look in the cupboards, see how barren they are, and decide their needs came first. However, faith demonstrated is first giving to God; giving to Him the best, and trusting Him to take care of their needs. This recognizes the immense, vast and colossal God. He is forgiving, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He hears, He delivers.

WHO CAN EXPLAIN GOD?

“Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes, yes, yes!” (Romans 11:34-36). What size God do you serve? Is He tiny and convenient or the One True God described in Nehemiah 9?

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HOW TO BE UNOFFENDABLE

WEEK #1

The longer I live as a believer, the more I realize my Christian life is full of holes. I’m Swiss Cheese, when I should be a block of Cheddar. This is especially evident when I am tired. With Bill’s illness I exist continually exhausted. One evidence of this is how easily I become offended.

LIVING LIKE THIS STEALS ENERGY

My emotions run into a sprint when people ignore our situation or say clueless remarks. What about when someone zooms first into the parking space closer to the clinic doors and my husband can barely walk from the car? Yes, I ratchet up the offense meter awfully fast. Living like this steals a lot of energy.

GENUSES AT OBSERVING OTHERS

I asked God for help. That’s when I came across the book “Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better” by Brant Hansen. Brant writes: “We want to think people are worse than us. It’s one of our favorite pastimes. Go to a mall food court, sit down, and listen to the conversations around you. Compare how often people are telling stories about hurtful, wrong things other people did, versus confessing hurtful, wrong things they, themselves, have done. We’re brilliant at this. Geniuses, really.”

HOMEWORK WEEK #1

Homework for Week #1: Daily, note the negative things you hear people say about one another and the negative things which spew out of your own mouth. Take a notebook and write down ten positive things each day you have notice about that day and confess to God the toxins you contributed to the sound waves around you. Let me know your observations.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)