Gaining a heart of wisdom
“You can say ‘no,’” he said softly, in a whisper, so our son would not hear.Immediately, my guard went up. It was Christmas time, so my planner was bulging its squares with lists of things to buy and to wrap and to bake. What was my husband going to propose that required this ominous-sounding, front-loaded… Continue reading Say Yes to the Gift of Christmas
Sunday Scripture Not to resurrect an unpleasant topic, but one huge lesson I'm trusting for in these days following Election 2020 is that God's people do not need to be powerful culturally or in power politically to be obedient to him and to accomplish his purposes in the world. All we need to join the… Continue reading On What Do You Rest this Trust of Yours?
Isaiah may be one of the most cherry-picked books of the Old Testament, maybe even in the whole Bible! It's almost irresistible! We snatch favorite verses out of context, appropriating promises without a thought in our heads about the original audience or the author's intent. On our journey through Isaiah together, I am resisting the… Continue reading Certain Destruction and a Promise of Peace
Scripture Sunday On this second Sunday of Advent, I'm already noticing my tendency to process life based solely on what I can see. If there are three pairs of shoes and a half bushel of dog fur on the dining room floor, I must be a terrible housekeeper. If no one in the house has… Continue reading The More You See: God’s Advent Surprise
I marvel at the way my daughters-in-love give to their families, particularly to my grandchildren. Both young women have the privilege of staying home with their littles, so they are up to their fetlocks every single day in feeding and clothing and cleaning up after the most adorable children on the planet (ahem). Naturally, being… Continue reading In Praise of the God Who Has Done It All
Sunday Scripture Some of my favorite Christmas memories are embedded in our family's practice of Advent, simple traditions of decorating, baking, crafting, listening, and singing, all in preparation for a heartfelt celebration of Jesus's birthday. The focal point was the daily reading around the dining room table, the carols always slightly off key, and the… Continue reading Why You Should Read Isaiah this Christmas
I've added a hymnal to the pile of books I tote between laundry room and dining room table on the daily. Starting at page one, I've been working my way through the familiar and the unfamiliar and then recording a line that stands out to me in my journal. Playing hymnal roulette is not even… Continue reading The November Book Talk: Where Reading Friends Give Thanks
Sunday Scripture We're half way through November, and maybe, like me, you're wondering how this has happened. Somehow, even with all the things we're NOT doing because of the pandemic, life has managed to fill itself up with activity and distractions that keep us in full-steam-ahead mode most of the time. One of the first… Continue reading Invite Vigilant Gratitude to Wake Up Your Prayer Life
Thirty years ago, I married into a family that celebrated Thanksgiving Day with All-American fervor, featuring a day-long gathering and a loaded table. As the new bride, I was eager to prove that I had what it took to be the holiday hostess. Having done my research, I had planned all the best sides, multiple-choice… Continue reading Gratitude: Look at the Loss and then Give Thanks
Sunday Scripture According to the Apostle Paul, gratitude is more than a pumpkin-spice-feeling. It is a matter of obedience to the will of God. Author and poet Wendell Berry put words into the mouth of a fictional, elderly widow named Hannah Coulter who, in addition to being a crackerjack farmhand when needed and probably making… Continue reading Gratitude: A Matter of Obedience to the Will of God
Living Our Days 