Gaining a heart of wisdom
In her third book, Gloria Furman promises "to drill down to the things that matter," and her busy readers will find that she does, indeed, honor her word. The Pastor's Wife was written in the small spaces between mothering four children and serving alongside her church-planting husband on the Arabian peninsula, so it is more than simply a… Continue reading Digging Into Grace
In a meandering, three-way conversation with far-away friends, we began to ponder the term: just exactly what does it mean to be "reformed"? Without thinking, certainly with no editorial or theological censors in place, I said, "I would, actually, rather say that I'm reforming!" After that conversation, the statement lingered in memory and wafted its way into… Continue reading Just One Thing: Reforming
Happy 25th Anniversary to you, my dear, patient husband! Saying our vows – you in a spiffy tux, me in yards of satin and lace – we committed ourselves to the union that was being forged between us on that day as ‘heirs together of the grace of life,’” (I Peter 3:7). By the grace… Continue reading Silver Anniversary. Golden Memories.
As an artist, Kelly O'Dell Stanley brings a fresh perspective to her every day living. As a Christian, part of her every day living includes prayer. Praying Upside Down is her road map toward a life in which prayer is not merely an afterthought or a rabbit's foot. Following the paths of her high school insecurities, her… Continue reading A New Perspective
Nancy Pearcy's biographical sketch, woven into the pages of Finding Truth, chronicles her journey from agnostic, teenage skeptic to professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University -- but that is not the point of the book. Her goal is to make a case for critical thinking in the church. Offering her memoir as exemplar and… Continue reading Unmasking the Substitutes
I'll admit it. I can be just a teensy bit compulsive about my daily to-do list. Could this be why it does my heart good to see that God has included lists in the Bible? Chapters eleven and twelve of Nehemiah are, essentially, a series of lists: leaders (v. 3); members of the tribes of… Continue reading Just One Thing: Order
The perversity of human nature shows up even in our strengths. If it is in my DNA to stand valiantly for truth, I will likely trample the unenlightened. If my heart bleeds for the underdog, I may provide for them a comfortable path to hell. If the world is my personal mission field, I may… Continue reading Blind Spots: A Book Review
Every parent has heard it -- the greatest of all appeals to justice: "You promised!" The promises of a responsible parent are not lightly made; therefore, the power of the appeal. As children of God, we can approach Him with this same confidence, for His Word is full of trustworthy promises founded upon His character… Continue reading You promised!
We live the questions, holding one another's feet to the fire. We raise our kids and pray for each other on those "I'm a Rotten Mom" Days. They know us at our worst, and they love us anyway! They are our Soul Friends: What Every Woman Needs to Grow in Her Faith. Dr. Leslie Parrot writes… Continue reading Soul Friends: A Book Review
The weather here in Maine is warming. Bright green daffodil leaves, the tiny nose of a hyacinth peeking out of the ground, goldfinches mobbing the birdfeeder, and the sound of spring peepers in the early darkness are all telling me that it's time . . . Time to get out my summer clothes. After a long… Continue reading Just One Thing: Change
Living Our Days 