Blog (Page 198)
I Left Refreshed
Donna Campbell Recently, I attended the Boundless Compassion Retreat at Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center. My initial purpose in attending a retreat was simply to step into another space and time to quiet the noise of my life, slow down, and clear my head. I chose this retreat to support my quest to become a more compassionate soulful being. Though I am very familiar with Spirit in the Desert, I had never attended an extended retreat there wholly immersed…
Daily Devotions: November 6, 2017
Amos 5:18-21 “(The Day of the Lord) is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake.” vss. 18b-19 The people of Israel were supremely arrogant as they enjoyed their unprecedented economic prosperity. They knew that they were God’s people and that God had even greater things in mind for them. One day the Lord…
Daily Devotions: November 5, 2017
Matthew 5:7-12 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vs. 11 Jesus told his disciples to expect persecution if they were bold enough to take up his cross and walk in his way. And that’s exactly what happened! In the early years, many disciples were derided and ridiculed…and many suffered and died for being believers. Even today, in parts of the world, to be a…
Daily Devotions: November 4, 2017
Matthew 5:1-6 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” vs. 5 In the context of today’s political climate and the general trend of culture this word of Jesus to his disciples seems more of a joke than anything else. A glance at the dictionary tells us that the meek are submissive and unassuming, willing to put up with injury, and unwilling to speak up or offer any kind of resistance. In our world the meek aren’t even…
Daily Devotions: November 3, 2017
1 John 3:1-3 “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” vs. 1a Folks in the early Christian communities lived precariously as they waited for the promised revealing of the Lord Jesus. There were a multitude of forces arrayed against them, ranging from the erratic cruel Roman despots to the insidious false prophets who tried to undermine the gospel of grace. Believers found solace in faith,…
Daily Devotions: November 2, 2017
Psalm 34:5-10, 22 “This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.” vs. 6 The little bit of personal testimony in today’s verse provides an intriguing backdrop for this psalm of thanksgiving. It reminds us that our scriptures emerged from an historical context that was not much different from our own. Like many of us, the psalmist had experienced suffering. It could have been any number of things: health, relationships, persecution…we really don’t…
Margin for Mission
Bob Ulland and his wife, Myrna, moved to Arizona from Duluth, Minnesota in 2013 and became aware of Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center through their connection with Living Water Lutheran Church in Scottsdale. Ken Bash, a member of Living Water and former board member and long-time supporter of Spirit in the Desert, talked to Bob about becoming a member of Spirit in the Desert’s board of directors. Bob said, “Ken can be persuasive, and I was elected to the…
A Place Where the Spirit Dances
Paula Sturgeon was a young girl when she and her parents drove north from their home in Scottsdale, Arizona to eat at the International Restaurant in Carefree. She remembers the exotic middle eastern food served in what is now the Estrem building of Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center. At the time, she had no way of knowing the restaurant was going to become a major church-sponsored retreat center, and, years later, she would be a strong supporter and board…
Daily Devotions: November 1, 2017
Psalm 34:1-4 “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” vs. 1 Not all of us bless the Lord with every breath we take, nor is it likely that we continually offer praise with the words of our mouths. If we did there’d certainly be a different atmosphere in our social environment. Too often we forget the importance of a word fitly spoken and instead fill the air with careless and sometimes…
Boundless Compassion Retreat
I spent four inspiring days at Spirit in the Desert learning about compassion. What I learned helped me understand that my family was also inspiring me by living compassion for Allie and each other.
Daily Devotions: October 31, 2017
Revelation 7:13-17 “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” vss. 16-17 Today is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg,…
Daily Devotions: October 30, 2017
Revelation 7:9-12 “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.” vs. 9 Christians of every generation have been fascinated by the vivid imagery of John’s Apocalypse and particularly this inclusive picture of the triumphant saints before the throne of the Lamb. It seems that no one…