Every week a dozen young people pass through my home for piano lessons. I help little fingers push black and white keys so that they make beautiful music. At the end of each lesson–if the student has reached the practice goals–I give him or her…
Spiritual Disciplines
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Practicing Lent: Prayer Walking
Several years ago, one of our church members suggested that our congregation try prayer walking. Prayer walking? I had never heard of it. Mary explained that prayer walking was simply walking through a neighborhood and praying for the people who lived there. She suggested that…
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Practicing Lent: Unplugging
I love technology. Most of the time. I’m so glad that I can play peek-a-boo with my 20-month-old granddaughter via Skype–even though she lives 8000 miles away. So happy that I can text a funny picture to my son (his favored mode of communication) in…
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Practicing Lent: Personalizing Scripture
When I was eighteen, a friend of mine gave me a bookmark and I was ecstatic. Not only because I love to read and always need a bookmark nearby. Not only because it was beautifully handcrafted. I was over the moon because my friend had…
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Practicing Lent: Prayer of Recollection
I settled in my cozy chair, ready to open my Bible and hear from God. Ready to open up to God and tell Him all that was in my heart. But even as I sat in peaceful quiet, my thoughts left the pages of Scripture…
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A Simple Way to Pray When You Don’t Know How to Pray
I have to admit. Sometimes I struggle with prayer. I don’t know how to pray. At times the struggle is to simply make time for prayer. Other times the problem is keeping my wandering mind on the prayer. Sometimes I simply don’t know how to…
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One Selfish Reason to Praise God
I woke too early. My body was still tired, but my internal clock was still on Central Time even though I was in Hawaii. We had arrived the night before, tired from travel, and flopped into bed. But now I was wide awake. I made…
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Three Ways to Make Space in Your Life for God
Not long ago I was working in my garden–ruing the fact that in the past I had not left space between my bed of pink yarrow and the green lawn. I got a little lazy and didn’t bother to keep up the edge of the…
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A Quick Guide to Scripture Meditation
Sit still. Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. Sounds impossible right? Meditation can seem difficult and impractical–even intolerable. Meditation can appear nebulous and mysterious–even an invitation to trouble. In fact, some types of meditation are dangerous. Eastern meditation emphasizes the emptying of the mind. Jesus…