Gaining a heart of wisdom
Andrew loved my lemon pound cake muffins. He constructed fat sandwiches from the chopped vegetables and the sliced meat and cheese I had packed in a cooler for the twenty-mile journey by lobster boat to his grandparents' island cottage. "These are killer!" he declared, and as I thanked him, my hand rested on his shoulder… Continue reading Praying Parents and the Trauma of Addiction
Sunday Scripture The day I arm wrestled with one of my sons, it was apparent on which side of the table the real strength lay. Amused, he let me struggle for a bit--rather than flattening me in a heartbeat, which he could have easily done. I'm not the same girl who could once whoop all… Continue reading Looking for Strength in All the Right Places
A writing project has sent me digging for old journals. Stashed away in a box under my bed, they are a record, in smudged pencil and inky scrawl, of where I've wandered and how God's faithfulness, found in the rearview mirror, has pulled me back on course every single time. Who in the world was… Continue reading Just Because You Feel Lost Doesn’t Mean You Are
The number of plates on my dining room table had been a constant so dependable that I could set the table on auto-pilot. Often the number would swell to account for guests or shrink when one of us was visiting elsewhere. However, the ebb and flow always had a fixed point of return--until it didn't.… Continue reading How to Thrive After Your Kids Leave Home
Sunday Scripture We don’t know who he was because he didn’t sign his name. Was it fear that drove him to anonymity in an age of persecution? Or was it humility? Whoever wrote the letter we now refer to as “Hebrews” certainly knew the Old Testament scriptures, and in chapter eleven he’s connecting the dots… Continue reading Can I Walk by Faith if My Faith is Small?
Sunday Scripture After a long night of empty-net fishing, seven discouraged disciples turned their boat toward shore. The surprise of an early morning Jesus-sighting and the gift of an unexpected and bountiful catch turned their day upside down, and their shore-side picnic with Jesus is one of my favorite New Testament images. What's not to… Continue reading Breakfast for Your Body and the Bread of Life for Your Soul
A great gift that accompanies every invitation to speak at women's events is the opportunity to observe and to learn from leaders in a variety of contexts: What's working for them? How often do they meet? How does their leadership team function? I love working with the women at the church I call home. We've… Continue reading Innovative Solutions for Women’s Ministry Leaders
Because of his size, our St. Bernard can't be trusted with just any bone or chew toy. Large and practically indestructible, his favorite toy stays in the family room where it can keep him occupied on family movie nights. Sometimes we have to adjust the volume on the t.v. to accommodate the sound of Tucker's… Continue reading Chew on the Truth–and Transform Your Life
Portrait #1 My friend Lori does not fit the profile for a church treasurer. With gifts that lend themselves more to giving hugs than to writing checks, and with a ready smile that makes her a favorite with all the kids in the school cafeteria where she works every day, she has persevered in faithfulness… Continue reading Portraits of Endurance to Jumpstart Your New Year
As a true fan of certainty, I am filled with longing whenever I read Old Testament stories in which God shows up in unmistakable clarity. He speaks from a bush on fire, gives audible instructions for travel, and issues a rebuke from between the squared off teeth of a donkey. Even when Samuel, young and… Continue reading How Do You Know if You Are Called to Be a Writer?
Living Our Days 