• hope
    Devotional

    Knowing Shalom: Restoring Hope

    Knowing Shalom: Restoring Hope I learned something about hope today from a coworker. He talked about a behavioral experiment on rats. First, scientists placed rats in a bucket of water to see how long they would swim. Generally, they would swim for about 15 minutes before giving up. Then the scientists added another layer to the experiment. They pulled the rats out of the water after several minutes and dried them off. Then they put the poor rats back in the bucket. This time they could swim for 60 hours. The difference? Hope. The rats could last much longer if they knew that survival and rescue were an option. It is…

  • Devotional

    Knowing Shalom: Moving in Wholeness

    Wholeness seems elusive to those who have experienced trauma. And truthfully, many of us define ourselves by what we lack, whether education, health, money, or any number of desirables. Worse, trauma or abuse leave us feeling robbed of our innocence, a sense of well-being, or perhaps our homes and families. But the shalom of the Lord includes a sense of wholeness.  When the King of the universe dwells within us, he fills our spirits. Accessing his presence within ourselves is the absolute key to healing and restoration. He gives us so many ways to access him, though we don’t always recognize them. From reading the Bible to sitting under the…

  • Devotions
    Anxiety,  Devotional,  Peace,  prayer,  Prayers

    Knowing Shalom: A Devotional Series

    I have always understood shalom to mean peace. But that definition is as limited as comparing a child’s drawing of a flower to a rose in full bloom, its fragrance lingering in the air. Shalom is a way of life, one that weaves the power, grace, and truth of who God is into the very fabric of love. But, unfortunately, our interactions with peace are rare in these noisy times. But to participate in shalom is to surrender oneself wholly to the presence of God. Such surrender can happen during a fight with a spouse or dealing with a demanding boss as well as when sitting in a patch of…