Staying Stuck or Starting from Scratch?

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Staying Stuck or Starting from Scratch?

How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Galatians 3:3 NLT
As you will recall (Duty or Devotion), I chose to believe God’s unconditional love for me apart from any of my “doing” or earning through my fleshly, religious self-effort.

And so I began to interpret everything I heard in messages, read in books, and interacted with in conversations based on this foundational truth of God’s unconditional love. As a result, the heaviness and bondage began falling away. The Holy Spirit was setting me free.

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Duty or Devotion?

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Duty or Devotion?

“We often say, and rightly so, that Christianity is not a creed, it is a relationship; it is living with a Person. That is the simplicity that is in Christ. The danger that we constantly face is that we get involved in the things about Christ and fail to live in relationship with Christ.”
(Ray Stedman, Authentic Christianity, 2025)

And much of the “things about Christ,” end up coming from “duty” rather than a heart of “devotion.”

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Stone #12: God in My Ordinary

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Stone #12: God in My Ordinary

… I’ve come to learn over these years of walking with God that things aren’t always what they seem. The extraordinary is hidden in the ordinary. And let’s face it. You and I live quite ordinary lives. We compartmentalize our lives into secular and sacred. Then we go through each day wondering what this present life is all about. We don’t see the glory all around.

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Remembering Stone #11 : the Speaking Voice

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Remembering Stone #11 : the Speaking Voice

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me... John 10:27 NASB

As far back as I can remember, I longed to know God. At my mother's knee, I would sit and listen to stories she would tell me from our big gilded Bible (Remembering Stone #1). But it wasn't until later, in my young adulthood, that I became aware that perhaps I could hear God's voice speak to me...not audibly, but in the still, small voice of His sweet Spirit dwelling within.

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Remembering Stones (Continued) #10: Being a branch in the VINE

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Remembering Stones (Continued) #10: Being a branch in the VINE

Many years have passed. The Lord has had me on a journey into freedom and joy in him. It has definitely not been all smooth sailing, but in those early days He used a little book, Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray, to transform my Christian walk. …

I’m just a branch, that’s all I ever have to be!

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Learning to Live and Love: Returning Reflections

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Learning to Live and Love: Returning Reflections

John and I recently returned home after a glorious six week car trip (see previous posts). It’s taking longer than we thought to “get our Ohio feet under us” (as John has been saying).

My friend Barb may be right. She claims it takes 3 times the length of the trip we’ve been on to recover from being away. That means I need to give myself 18 weeks (4-1/2 months) to recover totally. Can that be right? Maybe so…it sure feels like it right now…

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Loving People: Friends Old and New (Part 2)

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Loving People: Friends Old and New (Part 2)

As we entered our beloved Dallas, anticipation was high…former home, birthplace of our beautiful daughter Beth, home of our beloved church (McKinney Bible Church) from many years gone by, precious friends “unseen” for 30+ years, and new friends in the Grace community (leaders and members of Network 220 and the Grace Tribe).

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Learning to Love People (Part 1)

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Learning to Love People (Part 1)

Lesson #4: God sends many kind, interesting people across our paths in life.
… A second is equally important:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
“Who is my neighbor?” In Jesus’ familiar story of the Good Samaritan, He answers that question from both directions. The racially-religious outcast (Samaritan) was “a good neighbor” to the needy, beaten and destitute man (his “suffering neighbor”). So in a sense we are all “neighbors” to each other. I guess the question is do we pay attention to those around us and reach out?

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Learning to Follow Our True GPS ...with John again

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Learning to Follow Our True GPS ...with John again

… So much new territory to navigate in our journey from Ohio through many states and on into Tucson. We successfully used our car GPS for the majority of the trip. But we experienced His Abiding Presence to be our best GPS of all. The most stressful part of the trip turned out to be finding our way to the hotel in Albuquerque, NM.

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More Lessons Along the Way . . . with John in his own words

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More Lessons Along the Way . . . with John in his own words

…If you have been following along with us, you know we’ve been unpacking these truths, learned on our trip thus far:

  1. God answers His children’s prayers (see previous blog post)

  2. God often answers before we ask. (today in John’s words)

  3. God is our GPS on trips and in life.

  4. God sends many kind, interesting people across our paths in life.

    And now for today’s truth:

    2. God often answers before we ask.

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First Stop in our Journey: Attached to Jesus

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First Stop in our Journey: Attached to Jesus

I’m back-tracking a bit to tell you about our first stop in our car trip. Illinois for Spring Break in Kansas City with our beloved daughter and son-in-law and grands was our plan. (see photos below).

But the the most heart-grabbing, spiritually touching part of it all took place in their home in Illinois before and after our trip to KC.

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Resurrection ZOE -- the Dance of LIFE!

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Resurrection ZOE -- the Dance of LIFE!

Easter isn't Easter unless it's Easter to YOU!

So declared a radio preacher early in Holy Week a few years ago. At first I said, "Yes!"  Then I thought about it awhile and said, "Not really! Easter is Easter whether I get it or not."

What is Easter anyway? Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the grave. He had conquered sin and death on the cross and then was raised, so that we could walk in newness of life. (cf. Romans 6:4)

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Focus on the Cross: the Last 7 Sayings of Christ with B.C. 2001

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Focus on the Cross: the Last 7 Sayings of Christ with B.C. 2001

It is truly "holy ground" to reflect on the Cross — what our Lord went through … but more than that, what He accomplished there. Would you meditate along with me ... and visit Christ's seven sayings from the Cross? [links below]

What a perfect preparation for the joy, freedom, and release of the Resurrection.

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Remembering Stone #9: Discovering the Indwelling Christ

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Remembering Stone #9: Discovering the Indwelling Christ

“Go down, Jan.”

My mentor-friend Donna would say this to me, time after time. “Jan, you are in your head. Go down”

My problem was that instead of actually feeling my negative emotions, I would do “commentary” on them and the situations that provoked them. Donna was trying to help me actually feel my emotions. You see, for years in “evangelicalism” I came to believe that anything negative was “sin” — negative feelings, negative thoughts, negative desires, etc. etc.

What a lie from the pit!

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