Gaining a heart of wisdom
Multi-syllabic, Mostly unpronounceable, They march across the pages. Trailing their fathers, Embedded in community, Their names inscribe the ages. There are no nameless -- There are no faceless -- Followers of God Most High. Although we read them With hearts too numb to marvel At the grace that's between the lines; For these are the… Continue reading Just One Thing: Names
If you're looking for a parenting resource that reads like a how-to book, that comes with a list of add-water-and-stir-guidelines and neat solutions, and that points the way to emulating the perfect life of the author, then Sand in My Sandwich is not for you. However, if you have a special needs child and wonder what it… Continue reading Sweet Relief and Hope
"Wait a minute, " I interrupted. "Read that again. Is that really in Deuteronomy?" My husband and I are reading through the Bible this year -- together and out loud. Aside from the challenge of actually being in the same room (or the same vehicle) at the same time for this daily discipline and delight, we… Continue reading God Speaks
"What we want, if men become Christians at all, is to keep them in the state of mind I call, 'Christianity And.' If they must be Christians, let them at least be Christians with a difference. Substitute for the faith itself some Fashion with a Christian coloring." Screwtape In Part One of Jesus Outside… Continue reading Tired of Taking Sides?
Around our house there's a bit of common wisdom: If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. If it won't move and it should, use WD-40. Raising four boys over the past twenty years, there have always been plenty of applications for both remedies. Life Unstuck is another remedy for the stuck places in life as Pat Layton… Continue reading Spiritual WD-40
Loved Back to Life by Sheila Walsh is not a story about the good life, of God miraculously keeping His children from all difficulty. Like David's psalms, it serves as a record of the dragon's mouth, the flood's torrent, and the God who does not abandon. Carried by faith through a difficult childhood, Sheila Walsh began her… Continue reading Journey of the Soul
Fear is a powerful motivator. Even the reluctant student might memorize lists of data for fear of failing a class. Motorists maintain a more conservative driving speed in areas where police regularly patrol. Unfortunately, there is also the fear that paralyzes, that leads to irrational decisions and self-protective behaviors. Fear of God, however, is the supremely… Continue reading Just One Thing: Fear
We've heard the stories so many times that their plots no longer phase us. Five husbands? Sure. Jewish women publicly washing the Messiah's feet in costly oil? Why not? A show-down in the temple between Grace and Law? Yeah, it's fun when Jesus outsmarts the Pharisees. A desperately ill woman healed in a crowd with just a… Continue reading Five Women. Five Stories.
"Why would God want us to speak to Him?" William Philip's question stopped me in my tracks because most authors of books on prayer argue from the opposite perspective: "Why should you want to speak to God?" Forever curious about the nature of God and constantly frustrated with my inconsistent prayer life, I found biblically-based and deeply thoughtful reflections… Continue reading Thinking God’s Thoughts After Him
What if you really believed what the Bible says about God -- that He loves you like a perfect Father, like a perfect Husband, like the perfect Friend, like the perfect Leader? What if you let the truth sink into your soul that God's perfect love is not tied to your performance or to your success or to the… Continue reading Trading Guilt for Grace
Living Our Days 