Worry is a pesky intruder that threatens to undermine everything God wants us to enjoy. Worry shows up when we are out of control, fearful, doubting ourselves or someone else, or view the fuzzy unknown without holding onto God’s hand. We often treat worry as a necessary evil, something we can’t fight or live without. Jesus teaches the opposite. He’s with a trampling crowd while he tries to teach his disciples about hypocrisy, real enemies, and the futility of greed (Luke 12:

Test me and know my anxious thoughts, Psalm 139:24 Tests have a bad rap. We can blame it on school, and they probably did make us think about tests in a bad way. Actually, tests are good. Tests reveal what you know. Tests reveal what is true or pure. Tests alert you to problems. Without that knowledge, we deny, ignore, or pretend to our own undoing. Professionals take tests to validate their readiness to use their skills in a broader way. They aren’t fun, but they are n

I said I wouldn’t ask what-if questions. I didn’t realize that they don’t need an invitation. They slip into my head at the worst possible times. They follow me like an unwanted shadow. I understand that unpredictability creates the environment for what-if questions. They thrive on uncertainty and generate fear. The problem with what-if questions is that they make you look for answers that don’t exist. What if I get cancer? What if I lose my job? What if the big earthqua

It was Sunday morning and I was listening to a piano solo on Pandora. The melody called me, haunted me actually. Usually I don’t pay attention to titles, but something about the gentle runs and breaks with its ebb and flow rhythm had my name on it. It did. It was called “Letting Go.” It was an enticing whisper you want to get close enough to hear because you know there is a message in it. I knew it was my Sunday morning call to worship.I leaned my head back, closed my eyes

I didn’t wait; I worried. Knew it the minute the answer came. Knew that my fear had overwhelmed me, robbed me of resources God had wanted me to have so that a time of waiting would not undo me. What the issue was doesn’t matter because I could apply my worry response to more than one waiting period. Why do I keep forgetting that God promises strength to those who wait, not to those who worry? Why can’t I wait without worry? Is it because waiting feels so empty and irresponsib