I recently read in my daily devotional that our earthly relationships reflect the state of our relationship with God (Welch, 2021). When I first read it, I thought, ‘Sure, that makes sense.’ Then I stopped, ‘Wait, what does that mean?’ The devotional discussed the impact of shame on our relationships, particularly when we disappoint others. I thought back to times as a child when I knew my parents would be disappointed when they found out about something I did or did not do—that speeding ticket, a lost class assignment, the garbage still sitting by the back door. Sometimes, okay often, when I knew disappointment would be the reaction, I would…

I’ve done daily devotionals for years, but I need to confess something about my efforts. I go through streaks of inconsistency. Sometimes I miss a day here and there. Other times, I miss weeks at a time. Sometimes I start a study and then my interest dwindles and I tuck it away in a cupboard. Even when I am being diligent, sometimes I’m just going through the motions. I read and say, “Yes, Lord. Good to know. I should work on that.” I used to think that my lackluster performance was due to the demands of life, the ebbs and flows of energy, and a lack of diligence on my…

As I sit in my house I look around at the things in my home and ponder… Where is it we spend the most time in our home? Why is it we seem to have stuff sitting around (piles of papers here and there, stuff on the counters, etc)?  I look around at my table right now and it has piles of papers on it as I am currently doing bookwork. My counter is full right now with of course the usual coffee maker, kitchen stand mixer, and Tupperware containers full of baked goods.  I, like most people, want a clean, uncluttered home when people come to my home and…