Gaining a heart of wisdom
"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you." (I Thessalonians 5:1) Paul's words come embedded with a warning to the church--sort of a, "It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway" message regarding a certain watchfulness and an inspired willingness to live in the present… Continue reading Concerning the Times and the Seasons: Summer 2019
Lately, I've been on a God Hunt, and this list is the early fruit of it: Our house and yard were teeming with friends, gathered for a celebration, and fully present to joy. The smooth execution of this event was an obvious answer to prayer. God has provided abundant and satisfying work for our adult… Continue reading The Gift of Discovering Jesus in Unexpected Places
Anxiety is a chronic and pervasive problem for most of us. We fear what we do not know, so, today, let’s get our hearts aligned with the truth of God’s sovereignty. Anxiety about the unknown becomes an opportunity to reaffirm our belief in God’s good intentions toward us and to purposefully put our trust and… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Isaiah 41:10
"Okay if I take the kids over to the playground?" I asked my daughter-in-law. "They'd love it!" she answered with a smile, settling into her lawn chair with a good book, and so I grabbed two small hands, and, together, we walked the short distance to the swings and slides. Almost-Five knew the ropes, but… Continue reading Trusting God for a Secure Landing on Solid Ground
My husband and I had our first fight in the grocery store. I am a list-shopper, and he is a browser. Stopping for nothing, I steer the shopping cart around corners on two wheels, while he lingers over a cheese display, comparing relative merits and flavors at long leisure. I was raised in a home… Continue reading You Can Become a Better and More Loving Spouse
Maybe by this point in the summer you're feeling as if you've drifted away from your usual routine and your settled habits of holiness. The writer of Hebrews uses nautical terms to warn against a slow slippage into apathy and neglect: "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Hebrews 2:1
Every Sunday morning, we sing and celebrate the birthdays: the toddler clutching three sweaty pennies for the bank, representing his three years of life; the grandfather who contributes a dollar to the bank and jokes about not needing much change. Birthdays are a big deal because people are a big deal to God. So we… Continue reading The Best Birthday: Receiving God’s Gift of Love
When we moved to Mid-Coast Maine, we set ourselves a goal of inviting someone new to dinner every month. We gathered around crock pot roasts, mashed potatoes, home-canned green beans, and usually a pie for dessert. The elderly couple we invited for August was a delight: we talked books, they filled us in on local… Continue reading Vibrant Hospitality: Opening the Window of Relationship
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) With this verse, Paul is winding down a letter to the Romans that included his travel plans and instructions for the gritty process of doing life… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Romans 15:13
In every season, my garden speaks, reinforcing in leaf and humus Scripture's messages around patience and diligence, inviting me to rejoice with the arrival of every cucumber and blazing pumpkin and to lament with the erect skeletons of sunflowers, their heads bowed at season's end. Predictable and yet ever new, the cycling of beauty and… Continue reading Loving and Listening to God in Every Season
Living Our Days 