Gaining a heart of wisdom
I have a new plant sitting on the window sill of "The Princess Room." Its pink flowers will undoubtedly bring delight to the heart of my oldest granddaughter--primary inhabitant of that particular guest room and the reason it is so named. Now, if I can only keep the plant alive! I have a terrible track… Continue reading 5 Practical Resources to Encourage Daily Rhythms of Spiritual Discipline
Every spring, property owners here in Maine cede our rights over to the blackfly population. With their serrated jaws and overwhelming numbers, they swarm by the hundreds, drawn by breath and body heat. I've seen them drive even the most determined souls back into the safety of home. When my four sons were all small… Continue reading Rest for the Weary and Hope for a New Season
Sometimes afternoon lands heavy and hard. The morning caffeine has long expired, the daily to-do list looms unfinished, and it’s clear I’m going to run out of energy before I run out of day. That’s when the brownies in the pantry start crooning my name. The open carton of mint chocolate chip in the freezer… Continue reading Celebrate the Glorious Partnership of Willpower and God’s Power
If I learned anything at all from twenty-one years of homeschooling it is this: the daunting, two-inch-thick school book is managed in daily assignments, one lesson at a time over the course of an entire school year. If we persevere, we will be able to say in June, “We did it!” Thirty summers and thirty… Continue reading What Story Do You Want to Be Able to Tell?
Four hundred years ago, Shakespeare penned a speech for Macbeth, a character who needed a moment on stage to lament the meaningless, pointless nature of his own life: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to… Continue reading Are You Looking for a Good Reason to Keep on Being?
As parents, we want what’s best for our children because we love them. Our perception of what's "best," therefore, shapes our prayers for our kids. We suffer over their failures and rejoice with them when success comes. Sadly, our hearts forget that God’s love for our kids is even deeper than our own. We forget… Continue reading When Your Kids Make Poor Choices, Do You Feel Like a Parenting Failure?
Long ago and far away there were six men, wise indeed, but, alas, they were all without sight. An opinionated lot, every single one, in the course of their wanderings, they happened to meet an elephant standing squarely in the center of their path. Feeling duty-bound to report on his discovery, the first wise man… Continue reading A Fable About Beginning to Overcome Our Need to Be Right
“I want to keep it handy in case I need it,” she said, matter-of-factly. She wasn’t talking about a flashlight. Not a package of tissues. Not even a cell phone...(They hadn’t been invented in 1978.) She was talking about Isaiah 55. “I liked it,” she went on. “So I memorized it.” Come, all you who are… Continue reading Memorize the Mind of God and See Your Own Mind Changed
I love everything about a good mystery novel--anticipating the protagonist's brilliance and bravery, the twists and turns of the plot, and the intrigue of the unknown. (Persevere to the end for a review of my most recent mystery read!) Because it's such a popular genre, when the word mystery shows up in the Bible, sometimes… Continue reading Have You Read Any Good Mysteries Lately?
Since 2022 was my worst gardening year EVER, my enthusiasm for spring and another year of digging in the dirt seems completely unreasonable. After all, 2022 began with great intentionality--an early planting of peas and lettuce and lots of faithful watering followed by thorough weeding of the growing plants. Certainly, the plump woodchuck living under… Continue reading Intentional Gardening–and an Intentional Life–in Partnership with God
Living Our Days 