Gaining a heart of wisdom
Since the Lord in his infinite wisdom has ordained that, here in Mid-Coast Maine, snow and cold should always be followed immediately by rain and warm temperatures, it's unusual for the ground to be covered with white for weeks at a time. https://videopress.com/v/ewIVqeKl?preloadContent=metadata Here's what snow sounds like underfoot at zero degrees Fahrenheit, and my… Continue reading The February Book Talk Where Friends Come in from the Cold
Sunday Scripture "I don't need to listen to this," I said out loud (to myself) as I clicked out of my podcast app. The truth is, I could have information pouring into my eyes and ears every minute of the day: news, commentary on the news, audio books, book reviews, interviews, or conversations on the… Continue reading Practice Rich Habits of Faith to Minimize Distractions in a Noisy World
Strict practitioners would not have approved of my methods, but on one long ago mid-winter Wednesday, I smeared ashes on the foreheads of my two preschoolers and myself. An offering of the hardwood that had heated our home the day before, these ashes were not “ceremonially correct” in any way. At the time, I did… Continue reading Ash Wednesday in the Parenting Pressure Cooker
Sunday Scripture About thirty 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, faithfulness and… Continue reading A Powerful Love Story Based on Strong Promises
“Deep in our hearts, we know that the best things said come last,” said Alan Alda in his memoir entitled Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself. He’s right, of course. We chat for hours of an evening, asking for and receiving updates on mutual friends, alternately bragging on and complaining about our kids; and then “linger at the… Continue reading What Is the Main Message of the Book of Revelation?
Sunday Scripture If you are a person whose eyes are open and watching in the wee hours, if sleep sometimes eludes you because you aren't sure who's actually in charge when you aren't, you may need words to remind you of the large truth that God's sovereignty, goodness, and love are in effect, even in… Continue reading Why Is Prayer in the Night So Important?
I'm convinced we're prone to make entirely too much of visible, quantifiable ministry. Don't get me wrong--I love sharing the faith that is in me with a big roomful of women and then trusting God with the results. It's also extremely satisfying to write and then painstakingly edit an article that shows up online and… Continue reading Intercessory Prayer: The Hardest Work in the World
Sunday Scripture "Don't go past the birch tree!" I called to my sons whenever they played in the front yard. The boundary gave them plenty of room to play, but kept them well away from the road. We settled disputes over taking turns with a timer--twenty minutes for one brother's turn and then a quick… Continue reading How Are You Managing the Boundaries in Your Life?
January has required of all of us a degree of restraint that's probably healthy, but may be hard to muster in the moment. A wise woman once said that the secret to growing old gracefully is to remember that I need not share my opinion on every topic nor at every opportunity. Oh, how I… Continue reading The January Book Talk Where Everyone Begins Again
Sunday Scripture Doing laundry for a posse of four sons often felt more like a chemistry experiment than a household chore. Scrubbing, spraying, treating, pre-washing, and re-washing were all part of the formula, and sometimes the result was great--other times, not so much. Unlike my laundry experiments, God's cleansing work in the believer's life is… Continue reading A Laundry Experiment Called Grace
Living Our Days 