This is the time of year my spirit starts anticipating the gathering of believers known as the New Room Conference. Every year for three days in September church leaders from around the world gather in one space to worship, pray, and take-in the love of Christ. It’s a place of humility and surrender as weContinue reading “Abide: In the Social”
Tag Archives: Dwell
Abide: Planting Our Feet
Hunkered down in our windowless hallway, we listened to the battery-powered radio. News updates crackled as the howling wind forced the rain through the seams of our front windows. Hurricane Alicia threw her bolts of lightning down on Houston, flooding streets and pounding fifty year old trees to near death. I hid in the hallContinue reading “Abide: Planting Our Feet”
Abide: In the Spiritual
I pushed toward the plane, whose roaring engines made it impossible to say a word to either of my sons. With a death grip on my two-year-old, I felt my determination to be strong slip a bit as I re-shifted the heavy car-seat in my other hand. A quick glance told me my six-year-old walkedContinue reading “Abide: In the Spiritual”
Abide: Righting Our Hearts
Last weekend I bought a new decorative tray for my living room. The minute I walked in with it, I went straight to the ottoman and replaced the old tray with the new one. I do the same thing with other purchases. Sack in hand, I head to the closet and rip off the oldContinue reading “Abide: Righting Our Hearts”
Abide: Protecting Our Minds
There’s a reason mothers lose their cool when their kids choose not to wear their bike helmets for their long ride to school–because moms know that if the brain inside that pretty little head is damaged, the whole person is too. Priscilla Shirer, in her Bible study, The Armor of God, draws a beautiful analogyContinue reading “Abide: Protecting Our Minds”
Abide: In the Physical
For as long as I can remember, I have walked into rooms to do something, only to forget why I’m there. One way to jog my memory is to walk back to the room I just came from to look for clues about my quest. More recently, however, I’ve become aware of my body inContinue reading “Abide: In the Physical”
Abide: Practices and Prayer
For years I poured myself into dance. By middle school, I was at the studio four nights a week, learning and rehearsing. Each goal I set for myself pushed me to work harder, and it paid off. My last performance with that dance company, a ballet solo, reflected all the hours and years of practice.Continue reading “Abide: Practices and Prayer”
Abide: Breakers and Builders
I’ve been playing “Throne Room Song” on repeat lately. I even wake up with the bridge thrumming through my mind: The veil is torn; the doors fling wideI see glory as I run insideThe throne room; before You, I bow. taken from “Throne Room Song” by Charity Gayle A picture has been seared into myContinue reading “Abide: Breakers and Builders”
Remain: Abiding in God
When I once prepared for a talk about growing our roots deeply in Christ, I had this inspiration to lead the group through a guided prayer using imagery of literal roots breaking out of a seed and digging into the soil so that a plant would develop and flourish. And bear fruit. As I practiced,Continue reading “Remain: Abiding in God”
Remain: God, Our Refuge
Many summers ago, Larry and I took our three sons to Colorado. To a one bedroom cabin with no internet. No cable TV. And one tiny table built for two. Needless to say we spent lots of time outdoors–which was the point of the trip. One afternoon, however, we planned for a day “in.” EagerContinue reading “Remain: God, Our Refuge”