The Daily Memo

The context of the journey of deliverance from the false self and restoration of the true self is unique, but the process is universal. It begins with awareness. The first step to becoming true is becoming aware of the false. Who am I in my false self? What version of myself do I present to the world as a mask to self-protect? What is my effect on people? What do people feel when they are around me? You’ll want to get to know the false self and get very familiar with.…

‘Surprised by joy’ is how C.S. Lewis described his conversion from atheism to faith in Jesus Christ. He had never expected that there was any connection between *God* and *joy*. If anything, he had thought it would be the opposite: ‘For all I knew, the total rejection of what I called Joy might be one of the demands.’ Convinced that it was true, Lewis ‘admitted that God was God’. At that moment, he was ‘the most dejected and…

Unfortunately, we have an enemy who hates us, and he’ll use every resource at his disposal to intersect and derail our healing journeys. Including guilt. Guilt is an emotional response to wrongdoing. We should feel the Lord’s conviction when we disobey His commandments or even when we break civil laws that do not contradict God’s laws. In my case, it was criminal. Guilty as charged. But there’s another kind of guilt that is not from the Lord but from.…

‘Does anybody know what we are living for?’ asked Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock group Queen, in the lyrics of the last song on their album, *Innuendo*. Millions are implicitly asking just that question. Jonathan Gabay, a thirty-one-year-old professional writer, was facing employment challenges and stress when he hit rock bottom. He began to ask questions about the meaning of life. He wrote to people in all walks of life: world leaders, the,…

As I was praying about my disappointments the other day, I noticed something lingering beneath the surface. I realized that somewhere along the way, I’d come to an agreement of sorts—I need this. Not that I want it, and very much. But that I need it. It’s a very subtle and deadly shift. One that opens the door to despair and a host of other enemies. I was coming to believe that God’s love and God’s life are not enough. Isn’t that what…

We must have the ears and eyes of our heart open to God, expecting to hear and see Him, and being ready to obey. We can prepare our heart to receive from the Lord by knowing His Word, by taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit, and by desiring to hear from Him. As we spend time with God, He places His desires in us. His heart becomes our heart. This is the foundation of hearing His voice and becoming a good listener. It is important to distinguish God’s thoughts from…

Our false self demands a formula before he'll engage; he wants a guarantee of success; and mister, you aren't going to get one. So there comes a time in a man's life when he's got to break away from all that and head off into the unknown with God. This is a vital part of our journey and if we balk here, the journey ends.Before the moment of Adam's greatest trial God provided no step-by-step plan, gave no formula for how he was to handle the whole.…

“Bobbie the Wonder Dog” was a collie mix separated from his family while they were on a summer vacation together more than 2,200 miles from home. The family searched everywhere for their beloved pet but returned heartbroken without him. Six months later, toward the end of winter, a scraggly but determined Bobbie showed up at their door in Silverton, Oregon. Bobbie somehow made the long and dangerous trek, crossing rivers, desert, and snow-covered mountains to…

Let's come back for a moment to original glory, the glory of God given to us when we were created in his image. So much light could be shed on our lives if we would explore what we were meant to be before things started going wrong. What was it that we were created to do? What was our original job description?God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all…