Gaining a heart of wisdom
She assumed a humble expression, but the look in her eyes said plenty. This was a great accomplishment. A moment. She held my gaze, and then allowed the smile in her blue eyes to spread to her entire face as she did it again: My granddaughter stood up in my lap. In Chapter 4 of Orthodoxy,… Continue reading The Miracle of Humanity (and Fairy Tales for Grown Ups)
Consider is a word that pops up all over the place in Scripture, and was even on the lips of Jesus as he invited a crowd gathered on a hillside to "consider the lilies of the field." For most of us, there's hardly an area of our lives that would not profit from a dose… Continue reading Intentional Parenting with a Vision for Your Family
Welcome the peaceful signs of this new season by Beating your swords into plowshares. Then go till up a garden! Beat those blades back into swords again And do battle against an ensnaring sin. Don't be anxious about What is coming or What might come. Pick a bouquet just for today's table. Turn regret on… Continue reading Welcome a New Season of Peaceful Change
It all started as a strategy for outreach. We sat around a table and began to dream out loud, trusting that the fire of shared passion and the wisdom of group process would yield creative ideas for communicating the love of Christ to our community. I don’t mind confessing that I loved my dream. We… Continue reading The Crash and Burn of a God-Sized Dream
Motherhood, for me, started out like a tightrope walk. To keep my balance and maintain my place on the tightly stretched wire, I read all the books, analyzed all the angles, second guessed all the decisions, and the only thing that saved my sanity is that Google had not been invented yet. I'm still in… Continue reading Motherhood: Learning the Ropes of Joy
Amy Simpson noticed early on that the tidy claims of Christianity were not lining up with the reality she was living at home. Suffering from the impact of her mother's serious and debilitating mental illness, her family was certainly not strolling toward heaven with all their needs met and a smile on their faces. In… Continue reading 8 Blessings of the Unsatisfied Life
In this month of serial snow storms, it's been challenging to get into an Easter frame of mind. So often, resurrection is paired with images of new birth and sprouting things, but then, I was reminded amidst all the shoveling, blizzard warnings, and cancellations that resurrection springs forth out of death and THE resurrection was a… Continue reading Musings: March 2018
The layers of life, in all their overwhelming proportions, call for a large God. The unexpected diagnosis, the many ways in which we disappoint ourselves, and the messiness of the generations all seem to come home to roost during middle age as parents depart this world and adult children come into their own. Margie Nethercott… Continue reading A Glorious Bustle of Life
Pilate and Peter (and me) "What shall I do with Him called Christ?" The truth: clean hands will not suffice. Your acts of treachery which rise From disillusionment; your cries Of protest which reveal your fear Add to your guilt. Easter draws near. Be still and let the rain of pure Truth fall on you… Continue reading Easter Anthology
Holidays and reading go hand in hand, not only because books heighten our enjoyment of the celebration, but also because, through stories, we pass along the Truth and the significance of the holiday. This Easter, I hope you'll take some time to read the account of resurrection found in Scripture first of all. Then, if… Continue reading Fill Your Easter Basket with Books
Living Our Days 