Gaining a heart of wisdom
There's an old hymn that we don't sing much any more, but it's worth re-visiting because the final verse puts words around the futility of language in expressing the inexpressible: "Could we with ink the ocean fill,And were the skies of parchment made,Were every stalk on earth a quill,And every man a scribe by trade;To… Continue reading When You Expect Nothing and Get the Gift of Everything
One of the great gifts of blogging has been the privilege of helping authors with book launches as they release their good words into the world. Here are four books that have been joyful additions to my personal reading for the month of March. War Against Distracted Living In a world where our brains are… Continue reading 4 Joyful Spring Reads for You and Your Family
He said: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." She said: "The deepest lessons come out the deepest waters and the hottest fires." And all the world still takes note, for Jim Elliot was a courageous missionary pioneer and martyr. Elisabeth Elliot was a superior… Continue reading Jim and Elisabeth Elliot: A Deep and Delighted Love
Soon, I will take up over-sized loppers with wooden handles that should have been oiled last fall, and, once late winter begins to move toward almost-spring, I will snip branches from our feral and fly-away forsythia bush. Bare branches in a sturdy vase will eventually give way to bright yellow blossoms--except for when they don't… Continue reading Your Invitation to Embrace a New, True Life
Cold February is no context for thoughts of spring. Like the daffodils, our hopes are asleep under a crust of dirty snow. Nonetheless, retailers rush to display Easter candy and sleeveless, frilly dresses for us to admire in our winter coats and boots. Thoughts of resurrection seem out of place somehow when bare trees can't… Continue reading Musings: February 2019
There's Abby, my resource, the friend I call on when I need advice--or a place to vent; There's Sandi, my ministry colleague and voice of reason; the friend I laugh with and work alongside; There's Lori who sets the example for me: hard-working, huge-hearted, and the friend with whom I have grown into mothering. There… Continue reading You Can Cultivate Lasting Friendship in a Lonely World
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 Finding a Network of Life-Giving Friendship
"So who's mentoring whom here?" my friend asked with a mischievous grin. Good question! When friends challenge one another with shared books, Scripture reading, and transparent prayer, everyone is sharpened and restored in a way that uniquely shows the love of God. Janice Peterson calls this "spiritual friendship," and has reached back into her long… Continue reading How to Do the Hard and Holy Work of Faithful Friendship
Whether it was pessimism or lack of imagination, it never once occurred to me to ask God for a husband or a family. Maybe that's why I value them as I do, for they are gifts that came to me, even though I lacked the good sense to pray for them. Cheryl Anne Tuggle calls… Continue reading The Amazing Gift of Volunteer Love
The Lausanne Covenant declares that the whole church is called to take the whole gospel to the whole world, and certainly Jesus makes His own intentions clear with His Great Commission. How then are all God's amazing daughters to respond to this invitation while also remaining sensitive to theological controversies about the role of women in… Continue reading The Challenge of Women’s Work and the Great Commission
Living Our Days 