Gaining a heart of wisdom
Scripture records at least 153 passages about darkness, and it's a well-worn metaphor for anyone who has read the words and heard the sermons. In the Old Testament, darkness is linked to death and light to life. In the New Testament, light is often associated with knowledge and darkness with ignorance. It would seem, then,… Continue reading Gifts Found Only in the Dark
In the dark, in the car, hands on the steering wheel, I sighed in frustration. “I can’t do this anymore,” I said out loud, startling myself with the fierceness of my tone over the sound of the car’s heater. On that frigid January night, I was brittle with fatigue and hollow with disappointment. I had… Continue reading How I Found Myself Living in the Desert
I listen to a LOT of podcasts, and among my favorites are the author interviews in which the host dives into the story behind the book. I'm in awe of people with the tenacity and optimism required to see a book project all the way through to its completion. Maybe you would define success by… Continue reading How Do You Define a Successful Life?
If you are celebrating Easter today with an emphasis on the resurrection of Christ, if the joy in your heart has more to do with an empty tomb than a full basket of chocolate eggs, if you can articulate the wonder of God the Son dying and then coming fully back to life, it's probably… Continue reading Easter: God’s Powerful Invitation to Live in Unquenchable Hope
When he washed his disciples' feet, when he slipped away from the crowds for solitary prayer, when he honored, taught, and conversed with women, Jesus was a puzzle to his people. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate yet one more occasion in which "his disciples did not understand these things at first" because who rides into… Continue reading Did You Ever Wonder What It’s Like to be Humble?
Since I became a grandmother, I've become curious about the lives of my own grandmothers. One I was able to observe up-close-and-personal because we barged into her life when I was a toddler and lived in her house for my entire childhood. I know that she loved to read Harlequin Romances, that she was blind… Continue reading The Wise and Generous Ways of the Grandmothering Life
Francis Collins, a well-known public scientist and, more importantly, a Christian, insists that the path to wisdom lies along the broken road of our mistakes. On a recent podcast interview, he shared this illustrative parable: A young student, intent on gaining wisdom, asks everyone he can find, "What is the source of wisdom?"His elders reply,… Continue reading Get Wisdom as You Learn from Your Mistakes
Today, you and I are writing the story we'll be remembered for long after our life is over. As a parent to four adults, my mothering story has been written, and the lessons learned are being folded into the story of my grandmothering days. What story do I want to be able to tell?What stories… Continue reading What Story Do You Want to Leave Behind?
Doubt has a stubborn power over the human heart, and while it's an uncomfortable place to sit, it's a normal part of the human condition. Far better to bring it to the surface than to try to push it down. Like a beach ball in a swimming pool, it will surface anyway. There's a false… Continue reading Dealing with Doubt within a Life of Faith
When the Council of Nicaea met in 325, they decreed that Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, is to be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after the first day of spring. With the stroke of a pen, Easter and spring would forever hold hands. Since I live in… Continue reading When You Celebrate Easter, You Celebrate Resurrection
Living Our Days 