Gaining a heart of wisdom
One of my kids has been digging holes, taking things apart, and fixing things since he was old enough to ask for a shovel. It's no surprise, then, to observe that he's Mr. Carburetor in the world of small engines (to which I do NOT have a passport) and works in a field that requires… Continue reading When Your Unique Calling Means Doing What You Can’t NOT Do
God is at work around the world. North America and Western Europe are no longer the hotbeds of Christian thought and culture—although the growth of the "nones" has plateaued as Gen Z starts looking for answers outside themselves. In the global South, Christianity is growing at an unprecedented rate. With 67% of all Christians living… Continue reading How Can We Raise Kids Who Are World Christians?
One of the underrated benefits of substitute teaching is exposure to the head-spinning fluctuations of the kids' vocabulary. For the uninitiated, you'll be glad to know that if something is good, it slaps. But if I do something well, I slay. Best of all, the quality that allows me to be perceived as performing slap-worthy… Continue reading The Creative Power Of Charisma—Is It A Good Thing?
Tim Keller and the Ministry of Competence My teacher husband is beginning the process of retirement after 33 years in an elementary school classroom. Believe it or not, it's more complicated and requires more thought and paperwork to STOP teaching than it does to accept a new job. Nonetheless, he's encouraged by the realization that… Continue reading Your Work Matters to the World
Middles will never be my favorite—not even with a pan of brownies! The middle feels uncertain, and the transition from one shore to another may even become turbulent and dangerous. In our marriages and families, in our careers, and in our ministries, life's shifting seasons can be disorienting. In times of shifting seasons, we're tempted… Continue reading Finding Joy in Seasons of Major Life Adjustment
When we wake, no matter how we wake (instantly bolt upright or groping toward consciousness), we begin our day beloved by God, and the staggering truth is that nothing we do in the course of each day will either magnify or diminish that standing. Proverbs 4:18 likens a righteous life to that first gleam of dawn,… Continue reading Incremental Growth and Maturity Are Ageless Gifts
Scripture records at least 153 passages about darkness, and it's a well-worn metaphor for anyone who has read the words and heard the sermons. In the Old Testament, darkness is linked to death and light to life. In the New Testament, light is often associated with knowledge and darkness with ignorance. It would seem, then,… Continue reading Gifts Found Only in the Dark
I listen to a LOT of podcasts, and among my favorites are the author interviews in which the host dives into the story behind the book. I'm in awe of people with the tenacity and optimism required to see a book project all the way through to its completion. Maybe you would define success by… Continue reading How Do You Define a Successful Life?
Since I became a grandmother, I've become curious about the lives of my own grandmothers. One I was able to observe up-close-and-personal because we barged into her life when I was a toddler and lived in her house for my entire childhood. I know that she loved to read Harlequin Romances, that she was blind… Continue reading The Wise and Generous Ways of the Grandmothering Life
When the Council of Nicaea met in 325, they decreed that Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, is to be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after the first day of spring. With the stroke of a pen, Easter and spring would forever hold hands. Since I live in… Continue reading When You Celebrate Easter, You Celebrate Resurrection
Living Our Days 