Gaining a heart of wisdom
The summer of 2020 will go down in history marked by disappointing vacation adjustments, angst over schooling arrangements in the fall, and violence and unrest on so many fronts we're beginning to lose track. I wonder what story you are living, what uncelebrated milestones you have passed, or what ungathered grieving you have walked alone.… Continue reading Finding the Way to Forgiveness and Hope
Sunday Scripture It's a short journey from regret to blame, from sorrow to anger, from sadness to bitterness. Defying the pull toward bitterness seems to be one of the tasks of mid-life and beyond, but the movement toward peace and contentment, while challenging, is also life-saving. The prophet Isaiah was gifted with staggering insight to… Continue reading God Will Always Get It Right
The following life comes with no promise of smooth roads, clear landmarks, or luxurious destinations. At times, it seems as if a Christian world view actually complicates our lives. Suddenly, we are culpable not only for right actions, but for pure motives as well. In a full life with limited time for friendship or fellowship,… Continue reading Women of Faith: The Stories of a Lifetime
Sunday Scripture God is the ocean, and we keep writing about a cup of water."Charlie Peacock, musician and producer One cannot be too careful about one's reading material, especially at thirty thousand feet where confined airplane space and a four hour flight leave plenty of room for pondering a powerful metaphor. "God is the ocean,… Continue reading Will You Play It Safe–or Will You Take on the Ocean?
During the week following the horrific death of George Floyd, I was traveling to meet my brand new grandson. Snatches of news and heartbreaking social media posts were my only connection to the "real world," and in the quiet hours of holding a newborn, this slow processor of current events had all the time I… Continue reading How to Live in a World of Difference
Sunday Scripture For me, Round One was not such that I would have predicted a mushy Father’s Day blog post in my future. (Who would have ever predicted blogs, anyway?) My experience with this Hallmark holiday was aptly described by author, Leslie Leyland Fields: Some will turn away from thirty minutes at the card rack empty-handed and sad.”… Continue reading Father’s Day: A New and Better Celebration
One day, I stopped apologizing for my boring salvation story. While it's true that "I once was lost but now am found," there was no dramatic Damascus Road turnaround for me, no potty mouth to disinfect or cigarettes to snuff out. The real miracle, though, was that God landed with grace in the unseen muck… Continue reading Hope for the Hearts of Saints and Scoundrels
Sunday Scripture Patriotic holidays seem to be slipping by me this year. The challenge of distinguishing one day from another only complicates my nose-to-the-grindstone manner of living during this season of recovery from pandemic. In years past, we created red, white, and blue T-shirts with copious globs of fabric paint every Memorial Day and then… Continue reading Working Hard at the Practice of Patriotism
First impressions are usually lasting, and that was certainly the case with my introduction to Frederick Buechner, which came through a Luci Shaw poem. She quoted these nourishing words in a season of seeking intimacy with God: "Beat a trail to God long enough, and he will come to you on the trail you have… Continue reading Frederick Buechner’s Beautiful and Terrible World
Sunday Scripture Spring is the season of hyperbole. Here in Maine, we live in the grip of winter's clutches long after the calendar makes its equinox announcement--picture a foot of snow the week before Mother's Day! Therefore, when yellow and green begin to show up in earnest, my eyes can't take it in fast enough.… Continue reading Get Used to the Idea of Abundance
Living Our Days 