Category: Devotionals

I don’t remember ever spending 12 hours in bed before. My sons have been fighting each other, and me, for weeks. Last night I had to hide. I had to rest and escape. It didn’t feel good, but I needed it.

I got up this morning and took my yoga mat into a chilly drizzle to return to my Wim Hof Breathing: 3 repetitions of 30 intentional breaths with retention on the 30th exhale. The rain picked up as I worked through the rounds. I felt healing and cleansing as I prayed and mentally recited affirmations.

I haven’t done daily breathing or journaling in months, maybe a year. It works so well to clear and focus my mind that I take my improved state for granted and drop my practice.

Back to it. I’ve worked very hard to position myself for the opportunites and possibilities that are coming to fruition. I’m returning to my daily disciplines to continue to fuel my growth.

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
-Romans 8:28

I not take this verse to mean material prosperity or temporal happiness. I take it as an affirmation of His promise of Heaven for those who believe in the Highest. With our eyes toward Heaven, we can see God’s good at work and direct our whole lives toward it.

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Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
-Matthew 19:21

Feeling weak and looking to live His will for me.

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There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
-Romans 8:1-2

I’m praying for grace as I am tested. I know God has given me His grace through Jesus Christ, but I forget to extend it to myself and others.

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They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
-Acts 2:42

I didn’t think I needed this. For a time I didn’t think I needed even a partner for my spiritual journey. I’ve learned slowly. I always learn slowly.

It seems I also needed hard lessons like widowhood.

The difficult lessons and slow pace are paying off. In recent years I’ve found and built communities woven with my faith. I’m living more openly and honestly than ever and the people around me reflect truth.

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When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
-John 21:21-22

Gossip, comparison, and envy distract us from our true callings.

God wants us focused on Him. With our eyes turned toward the Highest, we can become our best selves.

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He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
-John 20:27-28

Jesus was patient. Some of his students needed more assistance in believing than others. Each individual has a particular path to faith and it is beyond any human to know what that path will look like or need.

All we can do is model Jesus and be patient with ourselves and others as we journey.

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“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.”
-John 16:13

After an exhausting day, the prayer that goes along with this Scripture speaks to me:

God, continue to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Lead me into truth: the truth of who you are, as well as the truth of who I am.

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“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
-John 15:12-13 KJV

No one realized that Jesus was going to follow through and lay down His life for them. His students became His friends and the loss they felt must have been intensely personal.

Jesus asks us to have the same commitment to our friends. He asks us to love so deeply that sacrifice is as natural as breathing.

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“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
-Matthew 25:21

When I became a (temporary) stay-at-home dad, God made it clear that I was aligning myself with my purpose in that time. I was far from becoming a Christian, but He was clear in steering me into intentional parenting.

I invested time, reflection, and effort into the most meaningful work I had ever done. God rewarded me with the inspiration, drive, and inhuman energy to become a home educator. My wife and I transformed our expectations, rhythms, and assumptions to fit these new responsibilities.

Fine tuning my investment energy is constant work, as new opportunities to care for my self, my sons, my loved ones, and my community arise and draw me near.

There was a lot of self care this week. Four nights of soccer and a return to yoga have my clothes washer full of sweat equity.

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“It should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant.”
-Matthew 20:26

I’ve been asked many times to take more credit for our Allschoolers group than I want to. The power of the group is in its members. We’re a varied group of parents who were looking for connection in an era of social distance. We knew in our guts that we are not supposed to live at distance from one another, but in loving embrace of our fellow humans.

There’s very little for me to do as a leader. I help set dates and locations and bring wood for our winter fires. I get far more out of our weekly meetups than I put in. The moms and dads I’ve met in the group are my best friends. We check in with each other and it’s rare that our Wednesday meetups are the only time we see each other in a week.

I’m empowered by my service to Allschoolers. They are support, inspiration, and encouragement on the difficult journey of home education. Someone told me today that they’d be lost these last two years without the group. I can only return the sentiment and echo the gratitude.

It is not an expressly Christian group, but everyone is free and encouraged to proclaim their passions. We share religious and secular resources and it is the most inclusive social group I’ve been blessed to take part in. Soccer is close as far as diversity of backgrounds goes, but the common goal there is much simpler than the complicated considerations and opinions of home educators. We’re individuals raising individuals. The layers of specificity demand compassionate listening and vulnerable communication.

I can’t say why it works so well. There aren’t a bunch of rules and there is almost no structure (I suppose that makes sense as the founders are unschoolers). It is our beautiful anarchy.

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