Gaining a heart of wisdom
A tall platform at the Colorado Springs Zoo gives patrons a once-in-a-lifetime, eyeball-to-eyeball experience with giraffes, the gentle giants of the animal kingdom. Not quite two, my little grandson fed lettuce leaves to his new tame and very attentive friends. “Look at those big brown eyes!” I crowed. “Big, beautiful eyes like yours!” “Long purple… Continue reading How Can I Discourage My Son’s Potty Mouth and Encourage Good Manners?
I printed maps for my students showing the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and colorful arrows tracing Israel's itinerary as refugees and fugitive slaves. I wanted them to see the utter impracticality of the route--and yet it was chosen by God on purpose, and Scripture tells us in no uncertain terms that God led Israel into… Continue reading Do You Trust God to Meet You in Your Wilderness Journey?
“Do you always read to your kids like that?” she queried. My friend was referring to my rendition of a Dr. Seuss classic delivered at tongue-twister speed from a rocking chair in the church nursery: “Would you like them in a house?Would you like them with a mouse?Would you eat them in a box?Would you… Continue reading How To Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Time When You’re Hardwired for Hurry
Bread dough the color of molasses yielded to the pressure of my working fist. Fold, press, turn, repeat, and soon I lost count of how many times I had kneaded the fragrant lump. With the recipe calling for three hundred repetitions, I began to wonder... Three hundred? Really? Switching to the heel of my hand,… Continue reading Create the Right Conditions for Spiritual Growth: Trust the Recipe
Along the wooded trail behind my home, a birch tree arches in a graceful curve as it stretches across the pathway. It’s a veteran of a good many northern New England ice storms and knows what it is to bow low under a weight of snow and frozen rain. Even though its tip-top branches have… Continue reading Solid Theology and the Gift of Community: Keys to Resilient Mothering
When my sons were tiny, I kept a running list of their zany questions in my journal--everything from the deeply theological to "What's inside my tongue?" Now it's my grandkids who keep the party going, but for some time now, my readers have been sending questions my way, so this post will be given over… Continue reading I’m Really Glad You Asked: A Post Featuring Your Questions and My Answers
If I should ever happen to meet the Old Testament prophetess Huldah, I would fully expect her to have pale blue eyes like my friend Mary's. Mary had turned her eyes on full power the day she rebuked me for being a hypocrite. Gulp... Until that point, we were having a great visit, sharing how… Continue reading Learning Humility: Cooperating with God in God’s Time and in God’s Way
We were new in church and new to the area, and our little three-bedroom fixer-upper was situated in a part of the universe in which it didn’t matter that we had been born and bred in Maine. We had not been born and bred in this part of Maine, and we had the accent (or lack of same) to… Continue reading People Who Are Cooked for Feel Cared For: 4 Helpful Hospitality Resources
My first few substitute teaching gigs in the fall always generate a bit of anxiety--butterflies over the unknown, anticipation of challenges, always the possibility of conflict. To my great surprise, on my first day of school, as I inserted my key into the car's ignition, the words of Isaiah 12 rushed into my mind, and… Continue reading Give Thanks! Sing Praises! Solid Disciplines Foster Strong Habits
I can’t think of a thing more discouraging than being defined by what I am NOT. Of course, the list is long, and for most of us, that list is freighted with a fair amount of disappointment, squandered opportunity, or even just plain failure. In his letter to the church he planted in Ephesus, Paul… Continue reading Take Courage from the Power, Majesty, and Authority of God
Living Our Days 