Gaining a heart of wisdom
We had just moved into the area, bought a house, welcomed our first baby, and settled into a new church. The house was definitely a fixer-upper, but we were determined to start practicing hospitality, so we had a steady stream of company, including a dear lady who sat next to me in the alto section of… Continue reading Diligent Use of the Word of God
Ash Wednesday is following hard on the heels of Groundhog's Day this year, and while retailers are throwing heart and soul into Valentine's Day, I find that my heart is more prepared to celebrate Easter if I spend some time during the Lenten season reading about the two historical events that are central to Christianity: the cross and… Continue reading One Weekend in Jerusalem
From time to time, I experiment with timelessness by taking off my watch. That naked wrist feels as daring and vulnerable as a bathing suit in a January blizzard, while every glance to check the time quickens my pulse to the rhythm of the question that my heart needs to hear: What’s your hurry? Contriving… Continue reading What’s Your Hurry?
Author Marilynne Robinson offers a stunning and succinct summary of the Old Testament in one sentence: "Stop doing this to yourselves!" The endless downward spiral of a nation is difficult to read. The voice of God comes to the people and they disobey. He forgives and rescues them from their mess -- and they rebel… Continue reading An Urgent Rest
Getting older seems to level the relational playing field -- at least that's what I'm finding. The past ten years have been enriched by relationships with women of all ages who have come to my Sunday school class or have attended our women's group. I'm always surprised to find common ground with younger women with whom, if it had been possible… Continue reading The Gentle Art of Discipling Women
About twenty-six years ago, a handsome young man in a tux stood before me and recited loving words of commitment that began like this: “Michele, joining my life with yours in the covenant of marriage . . .” And so our love story began with strong promises about loving and listening, respecting and revering. By… Continue reading A Love Like No Other
The new year is off to a great start! The boys are applying themselves to their school work (most of the time), we've followed through on our goal to be more hospitable (and it's been great fun!), there have been lots of positive comments on the blog (thank you!), and the adorable grandboy was here for… Continue reading Encourage One Another
I cannot abide bouillon in a mug, but I'm always a little sorry about that when I read the opening pages of Madeleine L'Engle's The Irrational Season. She sips from her warm cup, gazes out her two a.m. window at the Hudson River, and begins an Advent reflection that meanders through the liturgical year and the… Continue reading Battlefields and Slums and Insane Asylums
Four days into 2016 and already my resolve is being tested. Maybe that's true for you as well, and as unsettling as it is to encounter our own lack of self-discipline or perseverance, it is certainly a helpful perspective to bring to the study of Hebrews 2:14-18. When Jesus took on the constraints of a body,… Continue reading The Endless Downward Pull of Temptation
The word "listen" appears in Scripture over fifteen hundred times, and the most frequently voiced complaint in the Bible is that the people don't listen. It may well be the most frequent complaint of present-day mothers, also, and, as a mother of four, I was in love with Adam McHugh's The Listening Life before I… Continue reading The Gift of Listening
