The hard cold wood presses into my nose. Uncomfortable, falling face down, planked in prayer. Taking a posture of fearless desperation before my Savior. The unknown will put us in positions we otherwise might not take. Bent in submission as we search to know His will. Face down as we press the full length and […]

I enjoy making dinner. Going from a sack full of ingredients to a splendid meal laid out on the table gives me a sense of accomplishment. A sense of worth. I feel useful. My life has meaning. So much of life is about making meaning. Taking the sack full of circumstances we have purchased and […]

So you want to heal from your past? But how can you do this when you can barely get through the present? What possible benefit could digging up all your pain have? Is it really worth dealing with? You are finally in a place where things feel okay, but you still have a haunting sense […]

My head hung in shame as I said, “Yes, I am part of the Melissa Taylor Online Bible Studies Team.” Or, “I have a blog at http://www.stephanieclayton.org”. It is not that I am not excited about these things. They are blessings beyond my wildest dreams! I just feel so unworthy that I get embarrased. It […]

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 Sometimes my prayers resemble Eeyore. I mope around in them asking quietly for less of this or more of that. […]

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 Have you ever felt like a slave to fear? Stuck in your own internal prison? I sure have. Fear […]

I remember it clearly. I proudly toted another self help book into my counselors office. It was about the fifth book I had brought in to show her. One after another, veraciously devouring them all. With each text I was certain I was going to find the answer that would heal me. As I showed […]

As I got on the elevator she asked me, “going up?” “Yes,” I replied. And as simple as that I arrived at my destination. I wish life was that simple. Crawling into the elevator of our hearts and pushing a button to go up. To go higher. To engage deeper with God. But it’s not […]

Today I arrived at work without my badge and I needed to visit a student. The staff at the school knows me, so it shouldn’t have been a problem….but I just felt awkward. I needed my badge. In some way it imputed authority and confidence into my demeanor. So I went home and retrieved it, […]