Gaining a heart of wisdom
C.S. Lewis described the human condition as a process of always becoming more of what we already are. These are cautionary words for me at this point in middle age, particularly as I consider the possibilities. In Lewis's The Great Divorce, the Teacher speaks regretfully of a seemingly harmless woman who has come to the end of… Continue reading Half Way to Entirely
Some mornings, crawling out of bed feels more like crawling out of a car wreck. Arthritic feet and ankles protest against the floor, and I straighten a stiff back mumbling, "I'm too young to feel this terrible." Two summers ago, when the gang landed here on Memorial Day I broke my toe playing kick ball.… Continue reading The Wonder Years: 40 and Even Better
In my senior year of college, I took an English elective on the writings of C.S.Lewis. The professor, Dr. Kaye, was ebullient, effervescent, and contagious in her love for the Oxford don who spun words into gold. Her instructions for the final exam were simple but ominous: simply bring a pen and plenty of paper.… Continue reading Lessons from C.S.Lewis: Becoming Fully Human
Some stories leave a reader short of breath, muscles stiffened, dreading to turn the page because of the unavoidable outcome of the narrative arc. Katherine Clark's story began on a routine Friday, volunteering at her son's school. However, when she rounded the playground equipment in a schoolyard game of tag, one of the children bounded… Continue reading Where Tragedy Intersects with Truth
In 1914, when Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to celebrate mothers, there's no way he could have predicted the century of retail hoopla and family angst that would ride on the coattails of his intention to simply honor mothers and their role in the family.… Continue reading A Collection of Books for a Grace-Filled Mother’s Day
Consider is a word that pops up all over the place in Scripture, and was even on the lips of Jesus as he invited a crowd gathered on a hillside to "consider the lilies of the field." For most of us, there's hardly an area of our lives that would not profit from a dose… Continue reading Intentional Parenting with a Vision for Your Family
Motherhood, for me, started out like a tightrope walk. To keep my balance and maintain my place on the tightly stretched wire, I read all the books, analyzed all the angles, second guessed all the decisions, and the only thing that saved my sanity is that Google had not been invented yet. I'm still in… Continue reading Motherhood: Learning the Ropes of Joy
Amy Simpson noticed early on that the tidy claims of Christianity were not lining up with the reality she was living at home. Suffering from the impact of her mother's serious and debilitating mental illness, her family was certainly not strolling toward heaven with all their needs met and a smile on their faces. In… Continue reading 8 Blessings of the Unsatisfied Life
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 A Glorious Bustle of Life
Holidays and reading go hand in hand, not only because books heighten our enjoyment of the celebration, but also because, through stories, we pass along the Truth and the significance of the holiday. This Easter, I hope you'll take some time to read the account of resurrection found in Scripture first of all. Then, if… Continue reading Fill Your Easter Basket with Books
Living Our Days 