Imaginative Prayer
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Imagination and Prayer: How to Encounter Jesus
I still remember the river we saw while on vacation in Yosemite my junior year of high school. The river’s perfectly clear waters shot past in a narrow channel, about hip deep. The icy cold chilled my parent’s feet as well as my brother’s, and mine as we sat on the edge. My mother, brother, and I decided to jump in. The cold rushed over me and after a few minutes, I got out shivering, but with the endorphin rush that comes from a dunk in freezing water. The memory of that state of well-being has stayed with me my whole life. I felt fully alive at that moment and…
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Baby Heart Revival: A Transforming Miracle
The third grade daughter of a friend of mine had a hurting heart. Childhood depression isn’t always obvious, but this little girl was very introverted, always looked ragged, and was unaffectionate and disconnected from her mother. In fact, she would hiss at her if she tried to hug her. Childhood depression is hard to treat because eight is too young to experiment with medication, and generally, children aren’t self-aware enough to get a lot out of counseling. But children have one advantage over adults, and that is that they are still connected to their youngest selves. Adults can have a difficult time accessing their inner child, but an eight year…
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The Power of Delight: Four Ways to Experience It
When I think of the power of delight, I think about my mother’s mission trip to China. In 1980, China opened its doors to the Western world to tourists. My mother took part in the first Christian envoy into China after decades of exclusionist policies. The difference in the quality of life between the Chinese and the Americans was striking. Of course, this phenomenon is still not unusual when one travels. The little group was only the second American group allowed in; the first honor going to Bob Hope, the late actor, and his entourage. The Wretched Power of Complaint: The Minister of Tourism, Mr. Woo accompanied each group, presumably…
