Welcome to PRN – Pause, Renew, Next, a blog/podcast that encourages soul care. The blog can be used as a devotional, and the podcast seeks to share stories of faith. I hope it serves to challenge, renew, and inspire you. Let’s spend time reflecting, resting, and being renewed, so that we are better prepared to do that next thing.
Pause
What makes music profound and interesting to listen to? The rests. It helps us appreciate what has been played and anticipate what is coming.
The same is true in life. A pause is what gives us time to reflect, meditate, and rest. Without pauses, life becomes chaotic and overwhelming.
I hope the Pause section of this blog serves as an encouragement to pause in your day: a place to set aside a few minutes and come away renewed and encouraged.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV
Renew
Renew: to replace, to re-establish, to give fresh life or strength
Our culture is full of information, tips, and self-help tools, but how often do we meditate on any of that information and allow it to really permeate our thought-lives? Honestly, not often.
What if we took that knowledge and worked it down into the soil of our souls, allowing it to take root and grow? What if we soaked it in, allowing our thoughts to realign and our perspectives to shift? That doesn’t happen naturally. It takes work and time… mostly time.
In each blog post on this site, there is an exercise that will encourage you to dwell and meditate before moving on with your day.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV
Next
The Dead Sea is stagnant because water flows in, but there is no exit route. Too much of a good thing with no outlet leads to lethargy. So, although dwelling and meditating are excellent practices, without a way to work them out, no change may ever be seen. Knowledge without action remains purely thought rather than behavior.
The Next section of each blog post has a challenge to help take the information discussed from simply a thought or feeling to an action step. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get on with it!
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17 NIV
Blog
Handle With Care: An Interview with Lore Ferguson Wilbert
Touch is a topic not often discussed or written about, especially within the church, yet it is such an important issue for life, health, and relationships. So, it was an absolute privilege to interview author Lore Ferguson Wilbert on this podcast episode about her thoughts on faith, the body, touch, and relationships. Lore recently wrote …
Continue reading “Handle With Care: An Interview with Lore Ferguson Wilbert”
Body Freedom
An ugly, pink scar graces the top of my left shoulder. It’s really unfortunate, because I used to enjoy wearing sleeveless shirts in the summer. After my left shoulder became scarred, I mostly gave them up. Now, rather than looking attractive and confident in a sleeveless top, showing off my shoulders leaves me feeling insecure. …
Craving Connection
Lonely. It’s a sad word. Loneliness isn’t the same as solitude, which entails a willingness to be alone. No, lonely means being alone against one’s wishes. It can feel needy, pathetic, and vulnerable. Loneliness can surface anytime, when one is actually alone, or in a room full of people. In fact, sometimes being alone in …