Category Archives: Books

Every Scar Tells a Story

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Jason

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and … Continue reading →

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Lent: The End of Self-Sufficiency, the Beginning of Communion

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Jason

James Keating has some great thoughts on the practice of Lent from his book Crossing the Desert: Lent and Conversion. Here are a few excerpts: The word “lent” originated in Middle English and means “springtime.” By turning from sin and … Continue reading →

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Best Books of 2024

Posted on December 25, 2024 by Jason

Each year, I set myself a goal of reading one book per week. It’s a pretty ambitious goal and most years I miss the mark. But this year, I’ve finished 54 books and many of them have been really great. … Continue reading →

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Boundaries in Families, Part 2

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Jason

That leads us to a helpful metaphor for this series: walls vs. fences. Walls are barriers. They don’t allow access. A wall keeps the bad things out and protects that which is good. A wall is the most rigid boundary … Continue reading →

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Developing Healthy Boundaries: The Principle of Respect, Part 3

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Jason

The boundary problem of compliance Compliance is when we don’t respect ourselves enough to maintain healthy boundaries. Compliant people have “fuzzy” boundaries. Their “yes” and their “no” doesn’t really mean anything. An example of this is the person who claims … Continue reading →

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Developing Healthy Boundaries: The Principle of Reaping, Part 3

Posted on September 17, 2024 by Jason

So here’s an example of what this looks like. Or, rather, what this sounds like: This gives some good examples of language that reflects healthy boundaries. I especially want to highlight two of these: I will end this phone call … Continue reading →

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Developing Healthy Boundaries: The Principle of Reaping, Part 2

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Jason

The language of sowing and reaping comes from the world of agriculture. It’s about cause and effect: the seeds you plant lead directly to the harvest you’ll gather. This proverb is about the natural consequences of our actions. And you … Continue reading →

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Developing Healthy Boundaries: The Principle of Responsibility, Part 1

Posted on September 8, 2024 by Jason

Last week, we kicked off a new series entitled Boundaries: Setting Healthy Limits. The aim of this series is to help us establish godly boundaries for our lives, primarily in our relationships. This is predicated on the idea that clear … Continue reading →

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Boundaries: Setting Healthy Limits, Part 1

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Jason

With seven minutes to go in the third quarter of Super Bowl LII, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to running back Corey Clement. The touchdown gave the Eagles a commanding 29-19 lead. But replay showed … Continue reading →

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Humility as Seeing the True Self

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Jason

I came across this yesterday in The Cloud of Unknowing, a 14th century spiritual classic. Humility is seeing yourself as you really are. Pride is a facet of the false self. It is to see yourself falsely. In our pride, … Continue reading →

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