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On a Quest for Christ
This 30-day devotional traces your spiritual steps from the first whispers of faith to resting in God's arms. Gentle questions guide the telling of your story as comforting scripture and prayers enrich your reflections. The "Christ Quest Time Map" helps you see the path ahead as you look back on your journey.
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Spiritual Life Studies
These studies are appropriate either for your own individual use or for your small group. They offer timeless guidance and wisdom for spiritual growth. Check them out - you're bound to find something you've been seeking!
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One Woman Sanctuary Blog
Taking a Risk
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Spiritual Living ~
Risk taking sounds adventurous. Risk taking sounds courageous. Risk taking sounds glamorous. But these days risk taking can sound downright scary!By why? An article I read recently said that we're not really taking a risk unless we stand to lose a lot. Hmmm... We like to think we're adventurous and willing to step out in courage, but at the end of the day most of us just want to be safe, secure, and comfy.
When we factor in our changeable economy, pursuing a dream that God has placed in our hearts is even more challenging. Do we continue to follow him through uncertainty and turbulent times? Do we willingly make the sacrifices he asks, trusting that everything will be OK? Or do we give up and take the easier road to a more secure future?
I guess it comes down to this - great risk requires great faith. Which path would you choose?
Tags: Spiritual Living, Christian Lifestyle, Spiritual Life, Spiritual Growth, Christian Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Struggles
In The Meantime
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Christian Devotions ~
Heard an interesting thought the other day. “What will you do in the meantime?” You know, the time between two big events. The meantime could be after graduation and before the wedding. Or after retirement and before life’s end. There are lots and lots of meantime possibilities.But the real question is – what exactly are you doing during the in-between time? I’ve sometimes been guilty of treading water and maybe you have too. Sometimes it feels like there isn’t much to do except stand still and watch the time go by. But is that really true?
Why should the meantime be different than other times? OK - sometimes God calls us to wait on his timing – and that’s good. But even while we’re waiting, I doubt that he wants everything to come to a screeching halt. After all, time is what life is made of. Even the meantime has room for growth, and service, laughter and tears.
What are you doing in the meantime?
Tags: Christian Devotions, Soul Journey, Christian Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Path, Spiritual Living, Christian Spirituality
Planting Seeds
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Living for God ~
What's good about getting older? At my age I suppose I'm starting the long downhill slide into eternity. But one of the best things about aging is perspective. I now have the first-hand ability to remember when seeds were planted and to watch how they grew.No, I'm not talking about real seeds. Actually, I'm a pretty pitiful gardener. I'm talking about seeds in people's lives. They could be seeds of faith, seeds of anticipation, even seeds of transformation. They might grow quickly. They might take 40 years. But it all goes back to those seeds.
So the question is...what seeds are we planting today? Do we plant a seed of faith for others by how we live? Do our prayers begin a germination process in a lonely life? Do we trust God enough to plant a seed today, knowing it may not sprout till years later?
Looking back through your life, where are the seeds you planted?
Tags: Living for God, Christian Devotionals, Trusting God, Faith in God, Spiritual Living, Spiritual Life
Tossing Pinecones
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Finding Inner Peace ~
Do you have situations that you regret and wish they hadn’t happened? Probably so, if you’re like most of us! Perhaps you made mistakes earlier in life. Maybe you are troubled by circumstances that you can’t really change. Either way, you’re struggling to find peace.My spiritual director once gave me some great advice. If you’ve already taken these situations to Jesus, he has forgiven you. It may not feel that way, but from God’s perspective, it’s a done deal. So stand in that, regardless of today’s emotion.
Even so, sometimes a symbolic action can help. Try this. Collect a pinecone for each situation you regret. Sit quietly outside and pray about your part in the issue, if any. Then toss the pinecone as far as you can while gently and lovingly releasing this person or situation.
From your standpoint, all is now finished and your sense of peace is restored.
How have you struggled with this?
Tags: Finding Inner Peace, Christian Spiritual Growth, Soul Journey, Spiritual Struggles, Spiritual Awareness, Christian Devotional
It's My Right!
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
God Questions ~
Do you have any rights? Hmmm…that’s a silly question. Of course you do. For example you have the right to equality under the law. You also have personal rights, such as the freedom to say “no” and to be treated with respect. Even in theology we see no inequity. Everyone is made in the image of God and Jesus came to save all who believe. There’s even a Bible story about a rich man and a poor man at a meeting. Each is to be treated the same. But there’s another question here.
Truly serving God can involve setting ourselves aside. Does that include the rights we so cherish? Tough question! Our rights help shape us as individuals and protect our fragile selves. But what if they seem to interfere with a greater purpose? Living without them seems scary. Where is the balance between our rights and God?
The answer isn’t always obvious. Could you do it?
Tags: God Questions, Christian Devotionals, Spiritual Growth, Christian Lifestyle, Christian Spirituality, Spiritual Awareness
I Don't Wanna Do It!
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Christian Devotions ~
Is there such a thing as the spiritual discipline of doing something you don't really want to do? I'm not talking about activities we know are good for us but don't always get around to doing - like prayer and reading the Bible. This is different.Some time ago I agreed to do something that I really wasn't all that interested in. And the closer it got, the more I didn't want to do it. It was actually a worthwhile task and I was well qualified to do it. But I sensed some resentment creeping into my thoughts.
The world tells us to do what we enjoy and forget the rest. But this is a question of serving Christ. If I'm able and gifted for a task, should I do it even though I don't particularly want to? Or should I turn down stuff like this and just concentrate on what I'd like to do?
What do you suppose God thinks?
Tags: Christian Devotions, Christian Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Struggles, Spiritual Awareness, Spiritual Awakening, Living for God
Pushing Pause
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Living for God ~
Are you a hard driving person? Always pushing on to the next thing? I know I am. But something I read today made me think. The quote was from someone named Ruskin. Here's the gist:Our lives are like a song. We long to play the tune. But those pesky rests force us to wait till the melody appears again. So who wants to sit around when there's music to be played? Maybe we're missing the point.
Ruskin says, "The rests are not to be slurred over or omitted. If we sadly say to ourselves that there is no music in a rest, let us not forget there is the making of music in it."
Hmmm...guess this is bad news for my hard charging self. But the piece of my soul that longs for God can sing even in the rests of my life, even in the times when the tune seems faint and far away.
What about you?
Tags: Living for God, Gods Peace, The Quiet Place, Finding Inner Peace, Devotions Online, Spiritual Awareness
Calendar Clutter
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
Spiritual Living ~
"Sorry. Staff meeting," his wife answers, scanning her calendar. "A week from Wednesday at 7?"
"Little League. Two weeks from Saturday morning?"
"Church meeting. Three weeks from Friday at 5:30?"
"That works. But why is it so hard to get a date with my own wife?"
We're drowning in commitments. Keeping up with family, church, and work is a real struggle. Add in friends and community activities and we start to submerge. Soon precious relationships fall through the cracks. We're exhausted but there's no time for rest. No time – even for God.
So what's wrong here? God specifically asks us to unselfishly honor Him and those closest to us. But the tyranny of the calendar has edged everyone out. Honoring means being in relationship. But relationships take time and priority. Our full calendars may look impressive, but who's really getting our time...
Continued on the One Woman Sanctuary Website
Tags: Spiritual Living, Spiritual Struggles, Christian Devotions, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Growth, Soul Journey
Those Pesky Logs
By Lisa Are Wulf ~
God Questions ~
Why is it that other people’s issues and weaknesses are so easy for us to spot, but we’re oblivious about our own? I know I struggle with this – and maybe you do too.We all have friends and family that we adore and think are great! But we also recognize that everyone has challenges and our special folks are no exception. We see their “flaws” but we make allowance for them because we love them.
But when it comes to our own issues, we’re clueless and have no idea how we come across to other people. The funny thing is that they can clearly see OUR challenges!
This reminds me of the Bible verse about taking the log out of our eye so we can see the speck in someone else’s, but it’s just a little different. Is it time to ask God for the same level of discernment about ourselves that we apparently have about everyone else?
Any thoughts?
Tags: God Questions, Spiritual Struggles, Spiritual Awareness, Christian Devotions, Spiritual Awakening, Christian Spiritual Growth
The Good Life?
by Lisa Are Wulf ~
Spiritual Living ~
These days we hear a lot about “living the good life.” But what is that exactly? Is it a life of comfort and ease? Does it include wealth and possessions? Being with friends? Having a loving family? Perhaps. This is certainly a popular list. But something’s missing. What about God? If he were included, how would that change our idea of the good life? My guess is that priorities would shift and items we thought were essential would lose their importance.
A school of thought in Christianity says one should strive to become indifferent to everything except God. That sounds radical, but is it really? As one becomes closer and closer to God, some things begin to pale by comparison.
It’s a pretty lofty standard. Even so, the longer I live, the less material "stuff" seems to matter. Perhaps I’m starting to see a different “good life” on the horizon.
What’s on your list?
Tags: Spiritual Living, Christian Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Awareness, Christian Devotionals, Spiritual Awakening, God Questions
