Tag Archives: living the spiritual life

In the Right Order

As a pastor, I am privileged to hear the most important questions people ask. Why am I here? What is my purpose? How do I know if I’m saved? How do I pray? Why can’t I surrender and fully trust God? When is God going to speak to me and how will I know itContinue reading “In the Right Order”

The Right Start

I love to teach the scriptures to parishioners. For over two decades, I’ve seen the power of Disciple Bible Study – a curriculum developed by Bishop Richard Wilke and his wife, Julia, in the 1980’s to improve biblical literacy among United Methodists. In 2015, I offered the beta version of a shortened curriculum (24 weeksContinue reading “The Right Start”

Step One: God’s Goodness

If we are to discover good in the “good news,” we must start in the right place: knowing God’s goodness and trusting it is true. This is Step One of the spiritual life. It is the beginning and also the foundation for what is to come. Anytime we stray from God’s will, it is toContinue reading “Step One: God’s Goodness”

Step Two: Surrender

Do you remember the last time you felt close to God, assured that you were held in the comforting embrace of the creator of the universe? If you’ve ever had a moment like this, try to remember where you were, who was with you, what you felt on the outside and on the inside. Now,Continue reading “Step Two: Surrender”

Step Three: Forgiveness

I get surprised by what I see sometimes. The first time we had our Australian Shepherd groomed, he was shaved for a cooler summer experience. My husband picked him up at the groomers and when I got home, I told Kurt he had to take our dog back. He must’ve gotten the wrong one. TheContinue reading “Step Three: Forgiveness”

Step Four: Aligning Desires

Step Four in the spiritual life is to choose what God asks and act on what God asks. Before we get there, however, let’s acknowledge this truth: surrender (step #2) is actually where change occurs in the spiritual life. Intuitively we know that until we are able to surrender, it is really beyond our capabilityContinue reading “Step Four: Aligning Desires”