Author name: Joe Monahan

Devotional

Tue Jan 28-Take Your Ways to Heart

Most of us, even preachers, spend very little time with the prophet Haggai. So you wouldn’t be blamed if you need a little orientation to what’s happening in this passage. Haggai was a prophet who ministered in Jerusalem in the 6th century BC. At that time, the leaders and nobility of Judah returned to Israel’s capital after enduring several decades of exile in Babylon. They were able to come back after Babylon fell to the ascendant Persian Empire under Cyrus.

Devotional

Wed Jan 15-Internalized Learning

When I think about all the things I’ve learned in my lifetime – countless hours spent in books, classrooms, seminars, and on-line courses – it’s obvious to me that I’ve forgotten most of it. I think that’s the nature of most of our learning. It unfortunately goes in one ear and out the other.

Devotional

Tue Jan 7-Thy Word Is a Lamp

Most people, when they get to Psalm 119, experience their eyes beginning to glaze over. If you did, I wouldn’t blame you. There are several whole books of the Bible shorter than this one psalm.

Devotional

Tue Dec 17-The Thrill of the Chase

I spend way more time than I should looking at items on Facebook Marketplace. I don’t actually buy all that much – but I definitely enjoy the thrill of the chase. And when you find something great, it feels pretty special.

Devotional

Mon Dec 9-What’s in a Name?

What names have you been called? The list could go on and on. I am Janet or Jan, Mom, Jammy (my Grandma name), wife, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, PT, and lots of other titles and names I am sure I have been called over the course of my lifetime- some good, some not so good, some deserved and some maybe not.

Devotional

Wed Dec 4-Bearing Fruit

When I was a kid, my father and I planted two apple trees. It was hard work digging in the very rocky soil of west-central PA. But I was so excited about the prospect of enjoying fresh Golden Delicious apples from our very own trees. My neighbors down the street had an apple tree that produced tons of fruit, so I felt certain our trees would do great too.

Devotional

Wed Nov 20-Shelter in the Storm

When we’re facing a difficult situation, anxiety can feel like a storm raging inside us. Fear clouds our minds, and we can’t see the way out. In moments like these, we plead with God through tears, saying, “I can’t do this anymore. I just want out.”

Devotional

Friday Nov 8-Unexpected Blessings

When I listen to celebrity interviews, I hear them mention twists of fate that led to their success – chance meetings with people who helped to open the door, or someone unexpectedly putting a spotlight on their work. They often chalk it up to luck or good timing, but I see something deeper.

Devotional

Mon Oct 28-For Such a Time as This

There is a famous moment in the Lord of the Rings series where Frodo Baggins laments the fact that the fate of the world rests in his little hands. He’s been given an nearly impossible task: to carry the Ring of Power many miles behind enemy lines to destroy it in the volcano where it was first formed. Unless he succeeds, evil will be victorious …

Devotional

Mon Oct 7 – Not Alone

I’ll be honest, I never understood the fascination with Holy Communion, until I experienced a season where I spent several extended periods at a Catholic retreat center. A cohort I was meeting with for leadership development met there for something like 16 days over two years. It was a transformative experience.

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