“[The do to be tree] is a ruse that blinds and blurs because it shifts us from a relationship with God to a transaction with God. Whenever we believe that we will be blessed (more loved by God) because of something we do, we become much less like God, and we lose sight of our […]
“We continue to expect Garden of Eden faith in a Garden of Gethsemane age. And without a framework for processing disillusionment, we treat our add-on assumptions as proof of what we know. . . . Such reasoning gives more power to the add-on than the truth. We wind up keeping the illusion (I know how […]
“We are to guard and protect our hearts and our minds to make sure we keep good in and evil out. We are to guard and protect our testimony and make usre our lives produce the fruit of God’s Spirit in us. And we are to guard and protect our calling to love God and […]
“Love can be unconditional, but relational access should never be.”- Lysa TerKeurst “Above all else, guard your heart; for everything you do flows from it.”- Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solutions, I would spend the first fifty-five minutes determining the proper question […]
In the beginning God planted Adam and Eve in a garden place called Eden. . . . Place is God’s first gift to us. But at this point we should ask, Is there an actual purpose to place?”- Daniel Grothe “Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east and there he […]
“There are moments when you will stand before your field of dreams, with calloused hands shoved into pockets, while not a single shoot bursts forth with life. Despite your best efforts . . . earnest prayers. Despite the exasperating impression that every other field around yours is in bloom, alive. . . . The most […]
“When His timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention seems hurtful, and His promises seem doubtful, I get afraid. I get confused. And left alone with these feelings, I can’t help but feel disappointed that God isn’t doing what I assume God should do.”- Lysa TerKeurst Lysa TerKeurst concludes Chapter 2 of It’s Not Supposed […]
“To embrace and love who we are, we have to reclaim and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we’ve orphaned over the years.”- Brene Brown, Rising Strong “No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame.”- Psalm 25:3 (NIV) In Chapter 13 (“Boundaries with Guilt and Shame”) of Boundaries for Your Soul, […]
“People need a sense of belonging. We have an innate desire to be part of something larger than ourselves. When we are connected to life and each other, we thrive. When we are disconnected, we die.”- John Ortberg In Chapter 8 (“Something There Is That Doesn’t Love a Wall: Intimacy and Barriers”) of I’d Like […]
“When you feel surrounded by accusers with rocks in hand, you can be certain that God is not one of tem. Our good, compassionate God lavishes mercy instead of anger on all who ask.”- Bo Stern, The God Who Fights for You “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”- Romans 12:12 Susie […]
“Restriction and restraint are necessary for a healthy soul.”- Judah Smith And the LORD commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you shall surely die.”- Genesis 2:16-17 […]
“So how about you enjoy the trees, eat some fruit, and relax a little bit. You’re not that big of a deal, just FYI.”- Judah Smith’s take on God’s communication with Adam in the Garden of Eden “And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom […]