Gaining a heart of wisdom
One hundred years ago, the war to end all wars ended, leaving the world a very different place, and, ironically, setting the stage for the next world war. Geographic boundaries would shift and entire countries would be swallowed up or renamed, but even more seismic changes were at work in the spiritual realm as hearts… Continue reading Oswald Chambers’s Message of Hope in the Midst of War
I never leave the house without a book . . . BUT one busy Wednesday when an unexpected medical appointment pushed an already derailed schedule even further off track, I jumped into the driver's seat of our car, headed down the bumpy hill of our driveway, and only then realized the horrible truth. In my… Continue reading Reading as a Way of Life
Twenty years ago, my husband and I made one of the most difficult decisions of our married life: we decided to leave a church and to worship elsewhere. Leaving behind dear people we loved (and likely offending more than one person in the process), we left that fellowship convinced that God was telling us it… Continue reading The Hard Work of Hanging On and the Brave Work of Letting Go
Conversations about the laws that govern chemistry might be one of the most spiritual things going on this week at my dining room table. Homeschooling chemistry involves revisiting the Periodic Table of Elements with its jagged line separating the metals and the non-metals and the tiny numbers that define and describe unseen properties of pure… Continue reading Beloved Differences Bring Us Together in Hope
When Christmas seems to have been reduced to a shopping list; When the squares on your December calendar are bulging with enough activity to exhaust Frosty the Snowman, Santa, and all his elves; When you are tired of the knot that has already twisted itself into your stomach by the day after Thanksgiving . .… Continue reading Is It Time to Rethink Your Definition of Christmas?
Debbie Kitterman's class comprised a delightful balance of both brown and white faces, and when she overheard the symphony of Spanish and English conversations, her curiosity was piqued. At the first opportunity, she approached the pastor of the Hispanic congregation that was hosting her class. "How come half of my class doesn't speak Spanish?" she… Continue reading The Bridge-Building Ministry of Encouragement
Among the assorted ranks of those who practice journaling, you can record me in the column labeled "intimidated." Observation, application, and interpretation of my reading primes the pump, but never are my entries particularly stirring or insightful. My pages are scattered with partial outlines, first and second drafts of biblically-inspired poetry, and lists of questions… Continue reading Practical Help for Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline
We are a story-telling family, composing on-the-spot homespun tales, filling up the long minutes of road trips with audio books, laughing together over replays from crazy conversations, and delighting in glory-moments together after the fact. As our family continually rotates in wider orbits, stories have become the fibers that connect us, that keep us known… Continue reading God Has a Bigger and Better Story for You
The knock at the door came as no surprise. Rahab was used to furtive visitors at all hours as male customers came to her door, and yet this pair was different, for they were part of Israel's advance surveillance strategy, the first wave in their mission to conquer Jericho for the glory of God. It… Continue reading God Has an Ever-Unfolding Vision for You
In times of danger and disaster throughout history, true believers have made their mark by running toward the darkness. Whether it was a plague in second century Rome or a twenty-first century hurricane in America's deep south, if we follow Mr. Rogers's advice and "look for the helpers," we might be surprised by how many… Continue reading Run Toward the Darkness with Borrowed Light
Living Our Days 