One Wee Spark

Faith is an action, not a thing which you posess. Faith that is owned is not faith at all. It is a vague attempt to be something which I am not. But when I attempt to grow and practice faith in action, I find that it is more like a sport--something we can all do, but most of us need practice to get better at. I was raised attending church. I was taught the Bible stories from a young age, read my Bible almost daily growing up, prayed all the time. But those are not really practices of faith, at least not the mature faith that God wants for us to exercise. One of the things I've struggled with my whole life is a relationship with God as a parent, as my father. I used to think that I was alone in this struggle. I had no real earthly father, although I know who my biological father is, he has chosen repeatedly to remain silent and absent from my life. It was his choice and not mine. I longed, still long on some level, for my dad to reach out and want to build a relationship with me. I...

This is the season of new beginnings and resolutions. Everywhere we turn we hear about new diets, new workout routines, and new lifestyle promises. We see "gurus" selling books, videos, and programs to the masses. But I'm one of those kind of people who look at those "successful, pretty people" and think, "They're nothing like me." Even on a personal level, I am surrounded by people that I perceive to be better than me--smarter, prettier, more resourceful, more blessed, whatever. I always see myself as being just a little less than others, a little less deserving of good. Blame it on my childhood, on my teen years, on my adult years. It doesn't matter what you blame it on. I often look up to women of faith who really put the love of Christ into action. I think of women who write books, lead women's retreats, even have TV ministries. I always see them as being a little different from me. They seem to have arrived at their faith in a way that...