My spirit breathes a sigh of relief when I see this word and picture. It reminds me of Colorado or New Mexico. For some reason, the mountains have always been equated with relaxation and wilderness. Today on my run (I wasn't planning on going, but 'I just felt like running') I had a slight hint … Continue reading February 25 | Retreat
Category: lent
February 24 | Wrestle
Every day on the Alive Now site, there's a prompt. Usually I just write what comes to mind, but today I'll answer the prompt in light of the word for today: "What is the prayer of your heart today?" God, I'm sorry for wrestling, for undermining your sovereignty in my life. Each day I see … Continue reading February 24 | Wrestle
February 23 | Freedom
I lace up my shoes and head out the door. I have a drive a little ways to get there, but I get out of the car, stretch, set up my watch, and I start. There are hills, wind, and friendly faces. I start out with darkness, and then as I come around the final … Continue reading February 23 | Freedom
February 22 | Prayer
I've been a Christian for 16 years, and in the church for much longer. Prayer is something that I have yet to master. Sometimes, I feel like I'm just beginning to understand what it is and how to do it. I'm reading Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller throughout Lent, about … Continue reading February 22 | Prayer
Second Sunday of Lent | Love
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” (Rumi) Hmm, isn't that the truth. It's kind of sad to think about how much time and effort we as humans put into building walls and barriers. We get hurt … Continue reading Second Sunday of Lent | Love
Day 11 | Doubt
My actions and thoughts exemplify this word more times than I can count, sadly. A perfect example would be half marathon training. I'm aiming to do the Maryland Half Marathon in May, so my training plan started a few weeks ago. I had six miles on the calendar for today, and I woke up (woke … Continue reading Day 11 | Doubt
Day 10 | Fast
I have to admit, it's getting more difficult every day to keep freewriting. I have a new appreciation for what I ask my students to do on a regular basis. But I'll keep this going, because Lent is now 1/4 of the way over. Fasting is something that I was taught a lot about in … Continue reading Day 10 | Fast
Day 9 | Simplicity
Simplicity is something I've been striving for for the past few years. Life has gotten in the way, but since our cross-country move, I've been able to simplify more because our life circumstances are more stable. However, regardless of the state of life's stability, simplicity is ultimately a state of mind and a communion with … Continue reading Day 9 | Simplicity
Day 7 | Wilderness
This picture reminds me of the mountains of New Mexico. We lived in El Paso for five years, which is right in the middle of West Texas desert. I often found myself daydreaming about the mountains just two hours north of us and more specifically, being in the middle of this view on a trail run … Continue reading Day 7 | Wilderness
Day 6 | Silence
I used to hate silence. I always had to have something in the background. Silence made me come to terms with my own racing thoughts and anxieties. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, or maybe it's because I'm in a better place emotionally, silence truly is golden. Our house is silent a lot of the … Continue reading Day 6 | Silence
MPM 2.0: mercy unmasked 