How you frame your year matters. A clear framework — some guiding intentions — can make or break what today looks like 365 days from now. I’m not talking about a resolutions, or goals per se, but the stuff that resides beneath them. The inner ambition, the desire driving the goals.

If you were an actor I might ask you, ‘What is your motivation is for the scene called 2026.” If you can really nail that down, then the goals, the achievements, the desired moments will unfold organically–almost effortlessly. I’m not saying you won’t have to work, but what needs to be done will be obvious and feel natural.

Let me explain from a lesson I learned through acting.

A Life Lesson From Acting
Understanding Motivation, Subtext, and Inner Alignment

Years ago, I had the mixed blessing of landing my first lead role in a play. I was cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. I was both elated and terrified. I wanted a lead – until I got it.

When I read through the script I was overwhelmed by two realizations. First, Scrooge never leaves the stage during the entire play. Second, you have to portray nearly every human emotion–and to an extremes: grief, joy, anger, joneliness, regret. and more. I had no small fear that I might be in over my head.

The Power of Subtext
What Drives Our Actions Beneath the Surface

I remember the turning point of that fear vividly. We were rehearsing the second scene, when Scrooge enters his home and is about to encounter the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. He has already been unnerved by seeing the door knocker transform into Marley’s face.

Forrest, the director, pulled me aside and explained that at any given moment every character has. multiple layers of subtext driving what they do. There is an emotional subtext, physical, subtext, spiritual, and others. Subtext is the hidden underlying meaning beneath what a character says and does. It is the “lines between the lines” that bring a character to life.

Forrest walked me through the scene moment by moment asking me subtext questions: What is Scrooge feeling? What does he want more than anything now? How does he physically feel? Then Forrest said something that changed everything for me:

“If you are in touch with these things, even if you miss a line, you will say and do the right thing for the scene. “

It was absolutely true.

Why Subtext Matter for Your Life and Faith
Desiging the Inner Script That Shapes Your Year

This is true for life as well. What you do — and how you experience it — is driven by the subtext within you. Here’s the good news – you can write and shapte the subtext. You don’t have to live out of old scripts. You don’t have to drift and merely react. You can intentionally design the underlying layer that shapes everything else.

Writing a New Story for the New Year
You Choose the Character You Become

Every morning as part of my journaling practice, I begin by finding an inspirational quote. Today’s quote was perfect.

“New Year – a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.”
– Alex Morritt.

Here is the critical thing to understand though. a great plot alone doesn’t create a great story. Great characters–characters with depth and meaning – do. And you don’t just get to decide the plot of your life; you determine the character you bring to it.

So what does this look like?

My Framework for 2026
Purpose, Theme, and Spiritual Truth

For me in 2026, there are three subtexts that will be critical. my purpose, my theme, and a spiritual truth.

• My Purpose – God has called me to be a healing presence and a guide to others , so they can have a deeper relationship with God and richer life. Whether it’s family, friends, acquaintances, or people I engage with online, I’m almost always striving to be a healing presence and a guide.

• My Theme- Since 2019, I’ve selected an overarching theme for each year. Having a theme binds together my goals at church and home, so they all pull in one direction. This creates greater synergy — and greater sanity. My theme for 2026 is cultivating peace and purpose in myself and others.

• A Spiritual Truth – Love first. This emerged in my devotional time today and feels like a calling. I’m currently using Experiencing God Day-by Day by Henry Balackaby as a devotional guide. Today’s lesson was based on John 21:18 “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?‘” Blackaby asserts that as we go into a new year, we may carry regrets. We may have failed God or disobeyed Him. We may have turned our backs at times we should have been faithful. Yet, God doe not come to chastise or berate. Instead, He lovingly invites – just as he invited Peter – to affirm our love again.

When Spiritual Practice Becomes Hallow
Doing for God vs. Loving God

This word was deeply timely for me.As I journaled, I realized a quiet tug: God wants more of my heart. I do many good and productive things in the morning—journaling, working out, reading devotional guides—but lately, it has become more about doing than connecting. I’ve given God more actions than affection.w

And if the heart isn’t present, the actions become hollow.

A Simple Spiritual Practice for the New Year
Writing a Daily Love Letter

It’s like an actor who flawlessly delivers the lines, yet something feels off. The performance falls flat. I don’t want to be that person. I want to fully inhabit the role God has called me to play. And if the greatest subtext of all—loving Him first—is missing, then my life will only be a shadow of what it could be.

So what does this mean practically?

For the first 31 days of this year, I’m going to write God a love letter every morning. I want to begin my year — and each day — invested in the greatest role and the greatest commandment of all:

“Loving the Lord my God all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength.”

Here is to a phenomenal year of cultivating peace and purpose in myself and others from a place of love.

An Invitation to Cultivate Peace and Purpose Together
Join the Peace and Purpose Design Lab

I would love for you to join me on the journey.

For the first three months of the year I’m offering a Christian online community called The Peace and Purpose Design Lab. This is a beta community where we will learn and live toward greater peace and purpose together. I’ll give you behind-the-scene glimpses of how I am living out my goals, along with practical, step-by-step guidance to help you clarify and move toward yours. We’ll also have opportunities to meet live for support and encouragement.

If this resonates with you — and you’re ready to design a meaningful new year instead of drifting — CLICK HERE to come join me.

The post Choosing Love –Framing the New year first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

I was attending a retreat of pastors. We were working to identify missions for our congregations that resonated with our deepest passions. The hope being that both we and our congregations would thrive from the effort. I was a bit of an odd duck in the process. This was our third of three retreats and I had just left my congregation. So, I was in limbo. I was floating between calls with no church to envision a project for. And, that was okay. In fact, it was perfect. Sometimes you just need to be in a wandering mode to discover what’s next.

Listening for a call

A friend of mine refers to this wandering as, “Honoring the space between no longer and not yet.” I have been fully in that space for a good month or more. For those of you who don’t know, I left my position as a pastor in a small church in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas because my wife was called to another congregation in northwest Arkansas. Try as I might, I couldn’t secure a new position before we needed to move.

However, I full on felt God leading me to trust and go. “Trust and go”…really? That’s easier said than done. I don’t know about you, but I like assurances. I like plans. And, I really like knowing exactly where my feet will land when I jump. But God was saying, “Nope. Just go. Leap. I’ve got you.”

Fortunately, I now know my next position. I will start soon, but for weeks I’ve been in a place of seeking clarity. I’ve been in a semi-controlled free fall. The control part has been having a coach and working my way through a book called The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron. This book is awesome if you feel blocked in creativity or just want to get in touch with your deepest passions, desires, and dreams. I can’t recommend the book enough for getting clear on your priorities. Not only will it help you get getting clarity, but you will also discover how you block yourself.

Facing Obstacles aka Getting Punched in the Face

For me the book has been critical. I have allowed issues to hinder me on being the audaciously creative man God made me to be. Specifically, a health crisis several years ago knocked me to my knees. Pair this with criticism I internalized, and my creative spirit was down for the count like a knocked out boxer. Fortunately, I’m recognizing and actively recovering from these blows.

You see, obstacles are inevitable when following a call. Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” When you follow a call you step into the ring. Sometimes the opponent is yourself. You have old scripts and habits that trip you up. Sometimes you opposition comes from the people around you. Oftentimes, the people closest to you can be the most threatened and obstructing.

Time to trust…it’s hard

For me, now the hard work begins. God is clearly calling me to once again “Trust and go” but specifically, the call is, “Put yourself out there.” What does that mean? For me this call means: Write, risk, post videos, perform, create, and create audaciously as I once did pre-health crisis, but at a higher level. Frankly, I”m scared. I don’t want to get punched in the face again, but I hear the call. I must hear it and so should you.

We are all called to put ourselves out there. Jesus declared as much saying,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:12-16

Did you just hear what he said, “You are a light of the world.” Don’t hide that light. Put yourself out there. Does that sound scary to you? Good, because that means you are going to have to exercise faith and step beyond your comfort zone. Let me offer a few steps though to help you.

First, Identify your god-given gifts.

Your passions are your light. You need to know your passions because they are how you glorify God. Did you catch that in what Jesus said? You are to let your light shine so that when others see your good works they will glorify your Father who is in heaven.

For me, I love putting beauty out into the world. Also, I love sharing with people the lessons I learn as I strive to honor God in my life. These passions glorify God. Beauty and teaching, that’s might artistry, my light. What’s yours?

If you are uncertain about what your light is:

• Consider the concerns of your heart
• Explore your passions
• Examine your skills and experiences

These are each gifts from God. They are your light. If you still struggle to identify your passions check out y blog post Day 1 Tapping Into Your Passion from the my Five Day Purpose Challenge.

Lean into your gifts. Lean into your god-given skills. If God blessed you with being a parent, love your kids exceptionally. Are you blessed with athletic ability? Then run like the wind. Do you have business acumen? Be a stellar boss. If you are a musician, hone your craft and grab any stage time you can get. If you love the beauty and wonder of God’s creation, start a garden. You don’t have land? Then, get a few pots or find a community garden. Whatever the case may be start with what you can and trust for the rest to unfold.

Second, declare your intention to let your light shine.

You don’t have to do this publicly. In fact, in some cases going pubic with your declaration may be a mistake especially if you are newly exploring a passion. A harsh word of criticism when you start out can quench your lamp faster than a fire hose.

Nevertheless, consciously committing to shining your light is important. So in prayer and or with a supportive friend declare as specifically as possible how you want to let your light shine. I actually write intentions everyday. Many of them I will write repeatedly, five or more times, to cement them in my heart and mind.

Third, resist your inner critic.

This practice was something I picked up from Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. She notes that as you start declaring affirmations, inevitably your inner critic will pounce. “Who are you to (insert passion here)? You are too young, too old, too late. You are not smart enough, not talented enough. You’ve blown it in the past. You don’t have the right education, credentials, or position. You don’t have enough time, money, experience etc.” Your inner critic has a bottomless bag of discouragement to draw from.

But, you have something more powerful. You have the spirt of the living God in your life. The word of God promises you that you have been given a spirit of power, and love, and self-control. Consequently, when you hear that inner critic, you don’t have to listen. You can rebuke it with deeper truth.

When that voice says, “Too old.”.., say, “Pipe down. My years of experience are a gift not a hurdle. I’m right on time.” When that voice says, “Not enough money”, say, “The world is full of money, I just have to find the person who cares.” God will provide a way, when God has filled you heart with a will. You just have to lean into the call and that starts with nothing more than a committed intention.

God’s handiwork abounds

Something powerful happens when you voice your heart desires. I don’t fully understand the dynamics, but something shifts and opportunities spontaneously crop up. As a parent you might declare, “Today I will love my children unconditionally.” Then watch out, your child will likely do something hard to forgive, which gives you the opportunity to love her with God’s big love. If you are an athlete you may declare, “God I will strive to honor you in how I play with the full strength of my mind and body.” Then watch out! Something in a game will happen calling you to model integrity, or grit, or teamwork. These synchronicities are God’s handiwork.

That kind of synchronicity happened for me after I wrote, “I will bring beauty into the world today.” I will tell you how in just a moment, but first let me be clear on this third step because I slopped into it without telling you.

Fourth, watch for opportunities and follow your intuition.

You might not even realize in the moment that God is giving you an opportunity. Take for example, my declaration of “I will bring beauty into the world today.” During a break on my pastor’s retreat, I noticed a baby grand piano in the corner of a sitting area on the second floor. I decided play it for a while.

As I walked over to the piano, apprehension crawled all over me. I wondered, “Is it okay for anyone to play this piano?” And self-consciously, I wondered “Who am I too be playing on this thing? I’m a beginner.” My critic was subtly trying to block me. But, I pushed on.

For those of you who don’t know I just started playing piano in the last couple of years. One day I felt called to play and I have been learning by composing ever since. I actually still only know how to play my own compositions, but I absolutely love tickling those ivories. So nervously I surveyed the room to make sure no one was around. The coast was clear, so I slid on to the bench and began to play.

And then something unexpected happened…

I played my second composition called, “Sunlight Breeze“. The piece is a quiet and soothing melody. While I was playing a woman entered and parked herself in a big wing back chair. She looked out of place. I had seen lots of young professionals in business suits floating through or gathering in break out sessions. But, she was something different, a fifty-something year old woman casually dressed and by herself.

I immediately felt self-conscious and wondered if I should quit. Nevertheless, I pushed on to the end of the piece. When I finished, I glanced over and saw her head was back and eyes closed. I tried to slip out quietly. However, the moment the piano lid clicked shut, she opened her eyes and said, “Please don’t quit, that was beautiful.” Her words melted my heart. I couldn’t believe a stranger was moved by my playing and touched by something I had written. “Thank you, you’ve made my day by telling me that.” I replied. I gave her the background on Sunlit Breeze, and emphasized again how much it meant to me that she enjoyed it.

But wait there’s more…

I was ready to walk out, but she urged me to keep playing. She was having a bad day and my playing was soothing to her. “I’m going down to get something to drink and come back up. I hope you will keep playing,” she told me. I was torn between flattered, and “Oh no! Now what do I play?” I felt like such an imposter, but I played.

I dug into my tiny bag of compositions and played, “Come Bring Me Home”, the first piece I wrote. True to her word, she returned minutes later with a cup of hot tea. She nestled back into her spot. With eyes closed and peace on her face, she blissed out in the wingback chair while I played. I truly only know a couple of pieces, but I have odds and ends of compositions in the works. So, I just improvised to the best of my ability until it felt right to stop.

Eventually, perhaps fifteen minutes or so later, I quit and quietly closed the piano. She opened her eyes, smiled, and applauded. I thanked her so much for listening. She thanked me again for playing. I can’t describe the rush I experienced knowing I did something beautiful and it touched someone’s heart. You just never know when and how God will use you but if you follow the nudges around your passions he will.

A simple request…

Please put yourself out there. Let your light shine. You might be scared. You may question if what you have to offer is valuable. But trust and go. God will meet you in the leap and beauty will happen.

Just to recap, here’s what to do:

1. Identify your god-given passions.
2. Declare your intention to let your light shine.
3. Resist your inner critic
4. Watch for opportunities and follow your intuition.

When you do, I would love to hear about it. Sharing the story is one way you give God the glory.

PS: I highly recommend Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. I am on week four of twelve weeks and am already experiencing transformative growth. I have recognized old blocks and am starting to dismantle those. My creativity is flowing more freely. If you dive into the process I would love to connect and hear about your exper

If you decide to check it out, let me Click here to order a copy.

The post How to Put Your Gifts Out There first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

Staying focused is the number one problem people share with me regarding prayer. And, intrusive thoughts have definitely been my biggest enemy during my Lenten devotional practice of praying and meditating for fifteen minutes every day in nature.  I’ve been trying to capture in my observation log when my mind wanders off. Same days are much worse than others. Here’s what I’ve noticed.

1. The more tired I am, the more my mind wanders.This is not the least bit surprising, but it does raise the stakes on my need to work on getting better sleep.
2. My most common intrusive thoughts are: Pre-thinking upcoming conversations in my head, particularly, if I am concerned about how the conversation will go. Slipping off into recalling prior events.

So how do you prevent or quiet intrusive thoughts?

The answer is slightly different depending on whether you are meditating or actively praying.

Follow a method
For example, if you are praying, using a prayer method like the ACTS prayer which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanks and Supplication, can both anchor your prayer and help you jump back rapidly into praying. Having a prayer model is a bit like going into a grocery store with a shopping list. You are far more like not to aimlessly wander around,  pick up things you didn’t intend, or walk out having forgotten something critical.

When meditating, usually implicit to the method is the answer for restoring focus. So for example, my meditation time is spent primarily paying attention to my senses. Every time my mind wanders I can just reengage one or more of my senses and I’m back on track.

Pray out loud or journal
Praying out load or writing your prayers will physically engage you in prayer. You will almost immediately recognize when you have checked out mentally because your lips or pen stop moving. I first realized this while praying and driving. Many times my mind would wander off until I started praying out loud. I actually lean praying out loud regularly during the thanks portion of my outdoor devotional time.

Acknowledge the distraction and intentionally dismiss it
When praying, I have labeled intrusive thoughts as the gorilla mind or the beast. Often times when an intrusive thoughts pops in, I personify and dismiss it. So I will mentally say, “Hey, I’m praying. You don’t get to be in the driver seat. Get back in your seat.” As silly as this sounds, it can be ridiculously successful.

When meditating, and I have a physical distraction, I will just acknowledge repeatedly and you become detached from it or it fades away. So let say my nose is itching. I just mentally acknowledge it, repeatedly mentally saying, “Nose itching.” You would think this would draw more attention to it. But, this technique seems to create a certain distance between you and the distraction. This technique removes you from a position of reacting to being a disinterested observer.

When meditating and dealing with thoughts instead of a physical distractions, I will note them and then imagine them drifting away like clouds or boats. Again, this puts you in a detached observation mode for a moment and severs the influence over you of the thought.

Acknowledge and incorporate
So for example, let’s imagine you are attempting to pray and you keep lapse into fantasy conversation with someone at work who has upset you. Rather than fight it, embrace this as the focus of your prayer. This works particularly well if you are not following a prayer model, but even if you are, you may have to deal with the concern and then return to your model. Consider the possibility that an intrusive thought may represent an issue that needs prayer.

I hope these are helpful. I lean on all the above periodically and some nearly daily in my Lenten Devotional practice right now.

Questions: What are the most common types of distracting thoughts that pop up for you? Which technique feels like it is your best option for the type of prayer or meditation you do? Do you follow a prayer model ever or do you just free style your prayers?

If you don’t use a method currently here is a free guide to help you out and a few links to related resources:

A FREE RESOURCE GUIDE FOR YOU

The Prayer Focus Playbook
I’ve put together a free brief resource guide that includes three prayer models (ones I’ve personally used) to engage you mentally and a brief guide to three ways you can journal to physically engage your prayer attention.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE

Related Articles

Focus, Fatigue, and Prayer
A Prayer Journal is a Focus Lifeline when You are Sleep Deprived

A Collect for Greater Focus
Holy God, who is always present and mindful of us, provoke the spirit of self-control that you have gifted us with, so our minds do not wander and we can give you the respect and attention you deserve, in Christ name we pray. Amen

Never Miss a Podcast Episode. Subscribe on iTunes.

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 23, How to Stay Focused in Prayer (episode 83) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

Today, I did my sit spot time in my daughter’s yard because I was out of town. I had a very difficult time settling in and being present. Mainly, I struggled because of a poor night of sleep the night prior. I have long-standing issues with getting to bed early.  As I struggled to focus this morning, I couldn’t help but notice that she has several trees incased in Virginia Creeper. If you aren’t familiar with this plant, it is a sprawling, five-leafed vine that loves to climb trees.

I was curious if Virginia Creeper, can kill a tree. So, I did some research. What I discovered is that this vine can indeed kill a tree, though it’s not likely. The main problem is that if the vine covers leaves, this depletes the trees capacity for photosynthesis. Plus, the vine competes for water. As a result, the tree lacks what it needs to grow and spends most of its energy just trying to survive.

I suspect all of us have something in our lives akin to Virginia Creeper. Something that creeps in, takes over and sucks away time and energy. Having a hard time sleeping can be that way for me. I’m not going to drop dead tomorrow from having poor sleep, but walking around half dead, can sure make thriving difficult.

What are other examples of behaviors that silently sneak up on you the are life inhibiting or life depleting?  How about social media? Or binging Netflix? Will these activities, kill you? Not likely. But, they sure can zap time better spent with family, friends, or on your health.

Worst of all, invasive, distracting behaviors are almost certain to choke off time better spent connecting to God and obeying his word. As a result, you will find yourself merely spiritually surviving, rather than thriving. This isn’t God’s desire for your life. God came that you might have both eternal life and life abundant.

In order to thrive you must prune invasive behaviors out of your life. Finding the root of these behaviors and digging them up so they never come back would be even better.

Questions: What in your life right now competes for your time or attention in a way that is life-depleting? How can you sever this behavior? Or, better you how can you dig it up from it’s roots?

A Collect of Pruning:  Holy God, who offers us freely Jesus Christ, the light of the world and living water that we might never thirst or hunger, reveal to us what we allow in our lives that impedes us from fully being nourished by your Son, so that we might prune it away and thrive, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 22, Unnecessary Competition (episode 82) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

We live in a culture where we are constantly bombarded with inputs. Smart phones make us constantly interruptible. We live on demand. And frankly, many of us are addicted to that input.

A Virgin Mobile study revealed that smart phone users have 427% more messages and notifications than they did a decade ago. They also send 278% more texts. Studies have also shown that the habitual use of smart phones can have many of the same psychological effects as gambling. Side effects include: sleep deficit, lower concentration, creativity blocks, anxiety, insecurity, impaired relationships, loneliness and more.

Solitude on the contrary can produce almost the exact opposite of the effects. It can reduce stress, increase concentration, awaken creativity, reduce anxiety, increase security, improve relationships, and help us experience revitalizing “aloneness”, rather than life-depleting “loneliness”.  And, when we practice solitude for the purpose of withdrawing to spend one-on-one time with the Lord, we can dramatically improve our relationship with the Lord.

Jesus frequently sought solitude.

As followers of Jesus Christ, following his example just makes sense. Jesus appears to have frequently withdrawn from crowds for prayer and reflection. In fact, withdrawing into solitude is how he began his ministry.  We are told in the gospel of Mark, “At once the Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” (Mark 1:12)

Other examples of Jesus withdrawing include, but aren’t limited to the following accounts:

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house an went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Everyone was looking for Jesus, but after his time in prayer he told his disciples that it was time for them to move on to another village.

Despite Jesus’ plea that his miracles be kept secret, the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:15-16; see also Mark 1:45)

“Jesus went out to a mountain side to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him.” (Luke 6:12-13. See also Mark 3:13)

“When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” (Matthew 14:13)

“Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” (Mark 6:31-32)

“After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was still there alone.” (Matthew 14:23; see also Mark 6:46)

“Jesus entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.” (Mark 7:24)

I could list multiple other verses, but this gets the point across.

A solitary place

Note how many of the scriptures describe him as going to a solitary place. Or, in certain instance, the word of God says he went to a “certain place.” Finding solitude is much easier to do if you have a designated place to be alone and uninterrupted.

Right now, I am using my backyard. I enjoy this space tremendously. My back up spot out doors if it rainy is my front porch swing which is cover.

At some point though, I recognize that the weather will turn beastly hot, buggy, or cold. I have created a prayer closet to accommodate my need for solitude when that time comes. Also, I use my prayer closet frequently in the evenings. I was lead to create my closet recently while praying. I love having a prayer closet. I have had one in almost every house we have lived in, but for some reason I never established one here until now.

About my prayer closet

I literally gutted one of the closets in a guest bedroom that was mainly housing out of season clothes, costumes, and baby and children’s clothing that our kid’s once wore long ago.  I divide all of these up among other closets and also purged a few items.

My prayer closet is quite simple. It was a bedroom closet with bi-fold doors and two clothes rods. I removed the lower bar and placed a small table and chair in the closet. The table holds a candle, a bible, a journal, and small bowl that I burn sage or incense in as a way to initiate my prayer time. That’s not 100% percent necessary but I find having an opening routine like lighting a candle and some incense, engages more of my sense and help trigger me in a positive way to be full present to God.

My closet happens to have a plugin. So, I have a small lamp in the closet which allows me to easily control whether I have reading light, or soft candle light.

Here are couple of pictures of my prayer closet:

You don’t necessarily have to have any of the above, if you want to create a dedicated prayer space, it does not even have to be a closet. You can simply As people start to realize this is your prayer space, I find people naturally begin to respect your privacy.

Your quiet place, doesn’t even necessarily have to be at home. In most communities I had a sit area outside that was in a wilderness area nearby. If you decide to go this route, try to get something you can get to in five minutes or less. If it’s not convenient you likely one take advantage of it enough.

So why is solitude important?

Solitude allows you to be free from the distraction of everyday life and can allow you then to:

• Connect more deeply with God
• Take a mental and emotional break
• Reflect for greater self-awareness and self-discovery
• Shift perspective and confront large issues in your life productively
• Release negative emotions

I find that all of the above makes me a more grounded person. I am less tugged around by circumstance and peoples expectations. I am clearer on my priorities, so I make better choices. And the time communing with God has away of spilling over into a time outside of my quiet place. Which brings us to a really important point.

Solitude is neither loneliness, nor is it restricted to being alone

Richard Foster says this, “Our fear of being alone drives us to noise and crowds. We keep up a constant stream of words even if they are inane. We buy radios that stop to our wrist or fit over our ears so that if no one else is around least we are n to condemned to silent. T. S. Eliost analyze our culture so well when he wrote, “Where shall the world be found, where will the word resound? No here, there is not enough silence.”

But loneliness or clatter are not our only alternatives. We can cultivate an inner solitude and silence the set us from from loneliness and fer. Lonrielinss is dinner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment. Solti is not first a place but a state of mind and heart. There is a solitude of heart that can be maintained at all times.” 

So, ultimately, you don’t have to have a sit spot or prayer closet to experience solitude, but it is an ideal and amazing environment to cultivate an inner solitude that you can carry with you into the most stressful situations. Solitude is not a destination, but a trait that can be cultivate by spending time alone. We practice solitude apart from others, that we might bear it with us everywhere.

Lastly, if you practice enough solitude other people will sense and be calmed by it. You will be like a pocket of peace moving through a chaotic world. Back in college I spent a week at a monastery and learned centering prayer while I was there. I spent many hours, in the chapel alone in contemplative prayer and quiet reflection.

I recall vividly the day after I came home. I had this sacred silence that I carried about with me everywhere. I was a van driver for a hotel at the time. I came in about 6 pm and there was a chaotic daily shuffle to get people to and from the airport as the shift changed. I felt nothing but peace and calm in the midst of it. I recall picking up my first passenger from the airport, and by the time we got back to the airport, she noted, that I seemed in this amazing place and she wonder why and what it was. She could feel it and it was incredibly comforting to her.

There is so much more that could be said about this subject, but I am going to leave at this.

Questions: Where is a convenient place you could regularly go to be alone for prayer and introspection? Actually, think through several options. In one community, I had four at once: a closet in my home, a spot in the woods, a chair in the corner in my office, and a prayer room at a hospital half way between my home and office. I used all of them. What would be a simple routine you could follow when you are there?

If you are not sure where to start here are a couple of routines I have used in my prayer closet in the past. You’ll also get sneak peak at a prior prayer closet I had.

Prayer Closet, My Lenten Activity Commitment.–This post includes a prayer discipline I did for a prior lenten season, along with pictures from a prayer closet I had in our last house.

A behind the scenes look into my daily devotional life –This post includes a video tour of my prayer closet in our last house, along with one of the devotional routines I used in my past very similar to what I do today. I walk you step-by-step through my routine.

A Collect for Solitude: 
Holy God, who transcends time and space, help us to set apart both time and space to encounter you deeply in solitude, so that we may carry a sacred silence into the world that is healing to those around us, through Christ we ask this. Amen.

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 21, Solitude and My Prayer Closet (episode 81) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

I discovered two house finch eggs today. About a week ago, I noticed a male and female house finch building a nest above a light fixture on the outside of our garage. I’ve been checking it periodically for eggs, and woohoo, discovered two today.

I’m not sure when those eggs were laid because I had not checked the nest since mid last week. However, Friday, I was working near the nest and the momma and daddy were extremely protective. I’m guessing the eggs had been laid.

The promise of new life is so exciting. We have a couple in our church for whom we will be having a baby shower next week. Plus, my nephew and his wife are expecting twins in June. The planning and excitement are energizing and are setting the stage for a great celebration.

This set me to thinking about how expectation shapes not only an upcoming experience, but the energy and joy we have as we wait. This came up in a sermon I preached one week ago on The Spiritual Discipline of Worship. This sermon is the fourth part in a series on spiritual disciplines inspired by the book, Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster. In his chapter on worship, he introduced a phrase to me that was new, “holy expectancy”.

What is “holy expectancy?”

Holy expectancy is consciously preparing for worship, anticipating that you will encounter the holy. For example, you may arrive to worship ten minister early to pray: praying to lift your heart to Jesus, praising him, praying for leaders of the service, and praying for others as they enter the room.

Holy expectancy may mean you find out what passages are being preached on, and explore them prior to worship. Or, you may read through music lyrics being used in service prior to worship, so you sing have more meaningful experience. More importantly, you could also sing with great conviction.

We cannot force an encounter with God no more than we can force life into this world. However, just as you prepare for a baby’s arrival by getting a nursery ready (or in the case of our feathered friends, a nest), you can take steps to be open to God.

Also, just as you have a baby shower to be responsive to a baby’s arrival, you can come to worship anticipating God desiring change in your life.  Come ready to be obedient, for as Foster says, “Just as worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.” He even goes so far as to say that if worship doesn’t change you, then you haven’t truly worshiped. Imagine how differently you would listen in prayer, bible study, or worship if you came expecting God to give you directions.

How may we practice holy expectancy during the week?

Richard Foster also asserts that turning to God conversationally throughout the week, can enhance how you encounter God during worship. Inspired by Frank Laubach, an influence in Foster’s life, Foster chose to “pray without ceasing” for year. He did this by turning to God conversationally throughout the day. He had varying degrees of success, but reported one of the principle benefits he experienced was better worship. I suspect this was due to both deeper intimacy with God, and more developed spiritual sensitivity.

I’m sure you can prepare for worship in many other ways. But, you only need to make one adjustment to experience improvement. So, why not try one of these suggestions?  For there isn’t a new life better for you to prepare for than your new life in Jesus. Blessings to you as you strive to deepen your relationship with God through holy expectancy.

Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your holy expectancy, or in other words your preparedness for worship? What one simple action could you take this week to be closer to a ten?

A Collect for Holy Expectancy: Most holy God, who desires us to worship with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, reveal to us one way we can exercise holy expectancy so that we offer you more of ourselves in worship, in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

PS: While writing this post, I discovered that Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition, is available for free on Kindle if you have a Kindle Unlimited membership. Click here to for details.  

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 20, Holy Expectancy, (episode 80) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

I noticed though something new. Like tiny quills on the back of a porcupine, the flower bed about our Tulip trees is just beginning to erupt with tiny green spikes. These are the first. shoots of Hostas plants coming up. I’m also seeing buds on the Tulip and blossoms fully open on our peach trees. I also found a finch next on top of an exterior light fixture on our garage.

All of these changes seem to magically happen overnight, but the truth of the matter is that the trees and plants have been going through months of internal change preparing for this moment.

In life, overnight successes often follow a similar patter of development. Lionel Messi who is regarded by many to be the greatest soccer player in the world says.

“I start early and I stay late, day after day, year after year…It took me 17 years 114 days to become an overnight success.”

Ray Kroc, the man accredited with global expansion of McDonalds, said,

“I was an overnight success all right, but 30 years is a long, long night.”

My experience has been that in God’s family, those who are the rock stars of faith, the people who seem to have exceptional relationships with God, didn’t get there overnight. In fact, the people of faith that I have most admired have been like Lionel Messi, in that day after day, year after year, they have put in the the time necessary to form a deep relationship with God.

They are the ones who spend time daily in the word.  They often have lengthy lists of people they are praying for and daily habits of doing so. They show up like clockwork to serve week after week. They are the first to bring a dish, saying a kind word, or offer to help. And they have chosen to live that way for years.

Questions: What is a habit you could do every day or every week that would be an investment in your relationship with God? Who do you look up to in faith and what habits do they seem uncompromisingly committed to?

A Collect for Diligence: Most Holy God, whose steadfast love endures forever, give us wisdom to recognize and embrace the small things that can make a huge difference in our faith if we will just stick with them day after day and year after year, so we have an exceptional relationship with you, in Christ’s name we pray, Amen

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 19, Overnight Success, (episode 79) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

So, I have been feeling overwhelmed lately and struggling with how to get a post and podcast out to you daily. I have stayed true to getting in my sit spot, but the last week was very tough in terms of getting something out without compromising health or other ministry. I had three nights of going to bed after 3 a.m. It was about to where me down. If you have been following this then you know Saturday night , this finally caught up with me and I gave myself grace to come up with a post the next day.

I gave myself grace again last night because I still wasn’t and am not fully recuperated. I was literally falling a sleep at the keyboard and staying up late to finish a post just wasn’t prudent. So, there is an important piece of learning regarding disciplines to be had here. I’ve done numerous stints of spiritual disciplines over the years, and the more something is outside of the box of previous experience, the more you don’t realize what you’re getting into until you dive in and do. Count on renegotiating your commitment and know this – it is okay. You didn’t know what you didn’t know. Learn from it. Adjust. And, continue forward with a sustainable practice.

This renegotiation is far better than what happens to most people. Typically when people realize they bit off more than they can chew, they start skipping. They think, I’ll make it up later. Making it up later though is twice is hard. It usually doesn’t happen. They eventually stall out and feel guilt and shame. Now they not only don’t complete what they hoped to, they take on guilt and shame that makes it to try again. If you have been through this failure and shame breakdown before, it’s okay. No one probably told you how or that you could renegotiate your commitment.

Heads up. I’m renegotiating.

I just want to give you a heads up. I haven’t figured out what my renegotiation looks like yet. I just know I need to make adjustments. In advance, I want to thank you for being patient if I delay the release of a post periodically. It doesn’t mean I have forgotten. Nor does it mean I’m not taking seriously my desire and intention to post daily. My delay means I am trying to balance demanding needs in the healthiest way I now how.

So here is what I am thinking with regard to renegotiating:

• I will ALWAYS do my sit time.
• I will strive to get out a post daily
• BUT if I think doing so is going to compromise my health or my ministry at the church I will give myself permission to forego posting or offer something that is very minimal.

Why would I make these concessions? One of the dangers of doing a discipline is that you can get so legalistically tied to it that you actually start serving the practice rather than God. When the discipline becomes and end in itself rather than a means toward deeper faithfulness and connection, then you’ve gotten lost in legalism. At that point, you are also likely no longer listening to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Speaking of which…

The importance of spiritual discernment while practicing a discipline

I felt distinct guidance in the process of going into this discipline and I did not heed it all. That was a mistake.

First, the moment I decided to take this discipline on I felt an immediate tug to start before Ash Wednesday. I distinctly felt that I needed to get at least two episodes done prior to Lent beginning. Two specifics arose around this inner tug.  1) You’re going to need these episode. There will be crunch times you don’t see coming. Consequently, you need a couple episode on reserve to stay consistent with your audience. 2)  You need a practice run or two to figure out the mechanics of how this is going to work.

I half listened. Meaning, I distinctly felt the need to get at least two sits and posts done ahead of time, BUT despite clearing feeling that need I only made time to get one done. Lo and behold, guess what happened? Things came up and I really needed those extra episodes and had to skip days.

Also, I clearly felt and stated the need to evaluate the practice on a weekly basis and release that reflection to you all. If I had taken that pause last week (which I didn’t), there is a good chance I would have recognized the need for adjustments then.

In retrospect, I can see where I distinctly had been given direction on how to handle proactively not wind up where I am now, but I only half followed directions. Learn from my experience. Pay close attention and be obedient to the intuitions and nudges that pop up in your planning process. Take time to pause and reflect on your discipline, so that you can monitor and adjust to stay true to the intention behind the discipline.

Update from my backyard

I feel I would be a bit remiss if I didn’t share with you quickly the beautiful things emerging in my backyard

Today, I spotted the first buds on our tulip tree. This is usually the first tree to leaf out. Dozens of tiny shoots of hosta plants are emerging around the base of that tree. A pair of house finches have nearly finished a nest above an exterior light on our garage. I’m excited to see that. And lastly, my wife and I planted two peach trees in honor of our wedding anniversary last fall and they have made it through the winter. They are showing off their first blooms. Yay!  So spring is springing here.

Questions: What in your life feels like it is getting off track? What priorities are at stake? How can you renegotiate or give yourself permission to push pause?

A Collect for Renegotiation
Holy God, who makes all things new, help us to see when we are trapped in legalism and losing sight of the spirit of what you call us to do, so that we do not make an idol of our work, but adapt it in a manner faithful to you, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 18, Renegotiating Commitments (episode 78) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

Stop and think about this for a moment. According to the word of God, you can know God’s eternal power and divine nature in the things God has made. So, if  you want to understand the invisible attributes of God, then all you have to do is go outside and have a look around. What you need to know is right there. This isn’t my opinion, it’s the word of God.

In fact, God takes so seriously the undeniable obviousness of his identity in nature that he expects for us to respond. The book of Romans goes on in the next verse to say,

^“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”  (Romans 20:21)

Romans goes on to say a few verses later that because people refused to acknowledge him, God “gave them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.”

I doubt you want that, so what can you do?

The answer is clear in the text. A two-fold problem exists. First, people fail to honor God. Second they fail to give thanks. Let’s start with how do we honor God.

Three ways you can honor God

1. Praise God. I use a three-fold formula of praise based based on Psalm 18. I can do another blog post and expound on this more fully, but in short the formula is: tell God you love him, acknowledge who he is, and  what he has done. So for example, a short praise pray might be, “I love you Lord. You are more forgiving than I deserve. I praise you for the countless times you have forgiven me.”  Parts of praise are similar to gratitude, but praise is also quite distinct. Again, I’m not going to break that down today, but I can circle back to this in another post. For now just know that honoring God involves praising him.
2. Be obedient. If in the process of learning about God you recognize an expectation God has, such as, loving your enemies, then honoring him involves abiding by his commands and expectations. To do otherwise is to disrespect God.
3. Give witness. When God blesses you, tell the story to others. When you witness God doing extraordinary things in the world, tell the story to others. Praising God as described above honors him directly. Giving witness to the wonder of who he is and what he has done, honor him before others

Give thanks

Giving thanks is self-explanatory. Be grateful and express that gratitude to God regularly. At a minimum, I journal three things I am grateful for every morning. This is a simple and yet a profound discipline. Many studies have shown great benefits from gratitude,  butmore importantly gratitude makes glad the heart of God. So, even if we got nothing from gratitude, we still should exercise being thankful regularly.

Putting this in perspective

Imagine you give someone a fantastic gift. You know they really need it. And yet, they neither acknowledge or even use the gift. How do you then feel about them?  How enthusiastic do you feel about giving them? I suspect not so much.

Now flip this. What is your attitude toward someone who receives a gift from you and immediately puts it to use. They express how grateful they are and tell you what a difference it has made. Then on top of that, you discover they are running around telling everyone how amazing and generous you are. Now what is your attitude toward them? How willing are you to shower or entrust them with more? I suspect very likely.

Why wouldn’t God feel and respond the same way to us, depending on how we respond to gifts he places in our live? My experience has been that when I ignore direction from God, he suddenly seems strangely silent. Should this even surprise me?

Conversely, I have discovered that when I do honor God and give thanks a flood gate of providential gifts emerge. Again, why wouldn’t they, if we are being grateful, cheerful, and obedient recipients of his gifts.

Questions: How have you seen God at work recently? How can you acknowledge and praise God for this? How do you need to respond? Or in other words, what would obedience look like? Who could you tell about what you see God doing right now?

A Collect for Faithful Response: Holy God, who reveals himself in all that is around us, forgive us for not acknowledging you and receive our heart-felt thanks, praise, and obedience, so that we are not given over to futile thinking and foolish hearts, and most importantly, so we make glad your heart, in Christ name we pray. Amen. 

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 17, Four Ways to Respond to God Faithfully, (episode 77) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.

I gave myself a much break this weekend.  Saturday was an extremely long day due to an out-of-town meeting. Plus, the day followed a series of long days and late nights. I can’t describe how tired I was. I had to pull over and nap in my car to safely drive home.

So when I finally got home Saturday evening, I made a judgment call to forego writing up my sit spot time and producing my podcast until Sunday. In over fifteen years of Lenten disciplines, I can’t tell you when I have ever not delivered on my intention.

This was a wise choice though, not only would I have overextended myself physically, I don’t have any doubt staying up excessively late would have been detrimental to worship as well. I gave myself a break because being a good steward of my health and responsibilities outweighed being legalistic about my commitment.

I definitely didn’t make this choice lightly though. My experience has been that if you get in a make-up mindset, meaning, “Oh, I’ll make it up later,” then the choice becomes the beginning of the end of a discipline. Consequently, I tend to be ruthless uncompromising with Lenten commitments.

I also included another form of break. I gave myself a mental rest in the process. My pattern for sit spot times is to give thanks, observe for ten to fifteen minutes, and then write-up extensive notes. For this sit, I chose to focus almost all of my observation on a large Pecan tree, and rather than write-up notes, I sketched the tree during my ten to fifteen minutes.

This was a great way to shift up my outdoor meditation practice. Drawing engaged more parts of my brain in the observation process. Plus, illustrating what you see is a great way to internalize an experience.

Furthermore, I wanted to sharpen what I’m beginning to internalize. I realized this the other day as I was recalling watching squirrels and a woodpeckers on one particular tree. I realized I was recalling the tree in vivid detail. I could track multiple limbs in my imagination. Drawing was only going to help.

Drawing can be a great way to internalize scripture as well. Even if you don’t fancy yourself an artist, you can try to capture Bible stories in pictures. Stick figure cartoons can be enough to get the job done. The main thing is that if you try to illustrate a bible story, you will never forget the story ever again, even if your artwork stinks.

All of this is to say, take your spiritual discipline seriously, but don’t get hyper-legalistic to your detriment or others. Have fun and give yourself a break every once in a while. The change will keep you from burning out and keep you engaged.

Questions: What is something in your faith you tend to be legalistic about? How can you give yourself a break, and yet still be true to your intention? What adaptation is needed?

A Collect for Discernment: Holy God, whose wisdom far exceeds ours, help to see clearly the highest priority when our values are conflicted, so that we may  resist legalism and give you the glory, in Christ’s precious name we ask. Amen

The post Lenten Devotional, Day 16, Have Fun, (episode 76) first appeared on The Practical Disciple.