Gaining a heart of wisdom
Five years ago, we watched history unfold as the world responded to a new virus and a new way of doing life. I wrote an essay that appeared on the (in)courage website in July 2020. Remember those days when we were all trying to figure everything out? Since it has never appeared in its entirety… Continue reading An Unveiled Life: Remembering The COVID-19 Shutdown Of 2020
Living in Maine means that at least once every winter I get to shovel a foot of snow off my deck. This winter has outdone itself in snowfall, so yesterday, after the storm when the sun came out, we strapped on our wooden snowshoes and slogged through the snowy woods. My husband courageously broke trail,… Continue reading How Can Finite Creatures Know An Infinite God?
I keep hearing this statistic, and it's like a pebble in my shoe: Regular Scripture reading is the most consistent factor contributing to spiritual health. It ranked higher than anything else, and it makes abundant sense when we realize that God has promised to speak to the believing heart through his Word. Regular Scripture reading… Continue reading Come Close To The Story: A Free Lenten Devotional
As a grownup with no little people living in our house any longer, my task at bedtime is simple and straightforward. I assemble the scattered experiences of a day, including all the moments of distress, puzzlement, or joy. At day's end, everything becomes an offering to the Lord as I simply turn the outcome over… Continue reading Is the Illusion of Control Your Favorite Idol?
It goes without saying that my kids are raising my grandkids in a very different world than the world in which they were raised. Cultural pressures have dulled the sharp edge of conviction, leaving many parents unable to distinguish a safe path for their families. Furthermore, cultural change is so rapid that what "worked" for… Continue reading If You Don’t Teach Your Children, the World Will
When distance separates us from a friend's disaster, when there doesn't seem to be a workable solution to an ongoing problem, we promise to pray. That's what friends and families and church communities do for each other. But sometimes we just don't know what to ask God for. Do we pray for relief or repentance?Do… Continue reading How to Pray for Someone When You Don’t Know What to Pray
Prayer is hard. Let's just be honest about it. For me, prayer continues to be the most difficult of all the spiritual disciplines. Maybe it's hard for you, too, and you're thinking, “I don’t like to talk about this, but prayer is awkward, and I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to… Continue reading Prayer Doesn’t Need to Be Awkward
How does one live well before God amid life's challenges? Most of our decisions have to be made on the fly—like taking a test we haven't studied for! Sometimes, the wise course of action is hard to discern, and making a call is impossible until the choice and its consequences are already in the rearview… Continue reading 2 Reading Strategies to Get Wisdom from the Word
In declaring war against evil, it's the thoughts, the ordinary workings of our mind, that send us veering off course. These are the thoughts of one ordinary Christian woman in the twenty-minute drive home from church on an ordinary Sunday: She stews over a comment made during the meet-and-greet and plans a subtle stab for… Continue reading How Can the Church Understand and Resist Evil?
This morning I received a text message from a friend. Far from profound, its point was simple inquiry: "How is your week going?You had a busy weekend.Praying for you." The gift of concern was carried on words.We're uniquely gifted in this era of electronic communication. Without stamps or ink or a footstep outside our snug… Continue reading For All the Ravens Who Carry Hope and Encouragement
Living Our Days 