The way in which a person responds to opposition reveals the stuff he's made of. Nehemiah had barely unpacked his toothbrush in the ruined city of Jerusalem when his enemies started sharpening their swords -- and their tongues. Commentator Derek Kidner writes, "Sanballat and Tobiah throw a long shadow over the story." The truth is that without… Continue reading Just One Thing: Opposition
Author: Michele Morin
Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren.
Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.”
She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
Slow Christmas
Light Upon Light Compiled by Sarah Arthur: A Book Review The problem with reviewing a book like Light Upon Light is that Sarah Arthur has done such a fine job explaining her purpose in the introduction that anything I say feels superfluous. As a guide to prayer during the season of Advent, she has compiled a rich assortment of… Continue reading Slow Christmas
A Lively Faith is Enhanced by a Lively Mind
Redeeming Philosophy: A God-Centered Approach to the Big Questions by Vern S. Poythress: A Book Review Why does anyone exist? How do we come to know what we know? Where do commonly held moral standards come from? Do any of these questions matter to ordinary people in our "sleeping, eating, going to work, walking around… Continue reading A Lively Faith is Enhanced by a Lively Mind
Just One Thing: Politics
"The moment one life impinges on another, politics begin." Well said, Eugene Peterson (as usual), and certainly Nehemiah learned this lesson repeatedly in his quest to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. There is no avoiding politics because there is no avoiding power and its use and misuse. In Nehemiah's time, the minor officials of the… Continue reading Just One Thing: Politics
Good News of Great Joy
When the angel announced good news to a band of startled shepherds, the heavenly messenger could not possibly have anticipated the extent of the gift or its impact. In Chapter 14 of The Mortification of Sin, John Owen puts words around the unwrapping of God's gift in his Directions for the Work of Mortifying Sin. … Continue reading Good News of Great Joy
Just One Thing: “Awesome”
I have learned that it is curmudgeonly to quibble over words and their usage, but, having acknowledged that this is the case, I will take the risk of appearing to be a teensy bit cantankerous in order to get to the point of Nehemiah's prayer in chapter one of his Old Testament memoir. Derek Kidner's commentary… Continue reading Just One Thing: “Awesome”
Celebrate What You Have
The Invention of Lefse by Larry Woiwode: A Book Review The Invention of Lefse is a peaceful, homely Christmas tale that spins a fable for the origin of Norwegian lefse bread while also drawing the reader back into a long-forgotten day of simple celebration and elaborate joy. Thirteen-year-old Mette Iversdatter wakes early on Christmas eve to… Continue reading Celebrate What You Have
Permanent Freeze
Vanishing Grace by Philip Yancey: A Book Review "Like a sudden thaw in the middle of winter . . .": this is Philip Yancey's descriptive metaphor for grace on this fallen planet. "It stops us short, catches the breath, disarms." Vanishing Grace was written out of Yancey's concern that the church is failing to demonstrate the warm and compelling grace of… Continue reading Permanent Freeze
“Are We O.K.?”
Early in our marriage, my husband and I stumbled onto a means of cutting to the chase in determining the state of our union. Protracted silences, a perceived "mood," a brusque response, or an air of impatience always triggers THE QUESTION: "Are we o.k.?" Of course, the success of this little drill presupposes a level of… Continue reading “Are We O.K.?”
Just One Thing: Urgency
The book of Nehemiah is a shining example of one man's methods of accomplishing his goals. Most of us lack the passion (or even the attention span) to mourn and pray and fast over anything for four months, even if it affects us personally. Nehemiah grieved over a problem that was a thousand miles away… Continue reading Just One Thing: Urgency
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