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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…
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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…
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Intimacy with God: 4 Touchstones
Intimacy with God is often written about and far less often achieved. I have sometimes found myself tempted to apologize for my relationship with God. People have, at times, told me that they have tried and tried to have a relationship with God. Somehow it never works out for them. They believe that God only speaks to some people regularly. I feel pressured for an explanation. I never know what to say to that. At least not to their faces. I know that God wants to have a relationship with anyone willing to have one with Him. He says so in the Bible, often enough. “Ask, and it will be…
Healing Through Art & Words
