Gaining a heart of wisdom
Until I put it on display, love is sometimes hard to see. Dr. Mary Manz Simon invites pint-sized theologians to embark upon a delightful scavenger hunt, looking for all the places love hides in the daily life of a preschooler. She does this with precision, because when we demonstrate the love of God to others,… Continue reading Love Hides Close By
Annie Dillard has (famously) said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” This is a cautionary saying for those of us who live our days as the sandwich-makers, the sock sorters, and the finders of misplaced library books. Therefore, Liturgy of the Ordinary has landed upon my reading list… Continue reading Sacred Ordinary/Ordinary Sacred
Whether it's feelings of inadequacy, parenting anxieties, or panic over the latest terrorist tactics in the news, the challenge to face down our fears and to move forward into new, healthful, and bold behaviors is a common thread for January writing and thinking. The problem, however, with this seasonal booster is that the need for… Continue reading Awakening Courage in Community
In the car, in the dark, I trekked a twice-daily, hour-and-a-half commute for the final eighteen months of my life as an employee. I don't miss that, but those miles and hours translated into an era of abundant listening to books on tape. A favorite from that time was A Country Year by Sue Hubbell,… Continue reading Another Country Year
When school started in the fall, I introduced a series in our Sunday School on God's incommunicable attributes -- for the kids. The timing was perfect: everyone was going back to school. We all have lots to learn. God has never needed to learn anything. He is omniscient . . . and on we… Continue reading Theology 101 (In the Nursery)
Forgetful, we fall away. We center our faith around the responsibilities that we fulfill or the well-worn habits that frame the seasons, when Christianity, at its core, is not a job description, but, rather, a relationship. Love for God is foundational to all defining realities of the true believer, and if it has ceased to… Continue reading Rekindling Relationship
Because I'm a planner, I carry a planner, but the truth is that my planner carries me. All pristine and un-besmirched, the 2017 edition holds out the promise of glorious accomplishment and blessed organization in a life that often feels like spinning plates and chaos management. Shannan Martin started her marriage and motherhood in much… Continue reading The Freedom is in the Falling
I googled the term the first time I heard it, not even sure how to pronounce it. Enneagram: "Any - a - gram" Named for a nine-sided polygon, the Enneagram distinguishes and describes nine facets of the human personality, nine different ways of being, nine unique manifestations of the image of God on this planet. In The… Continue reading The Enneagram and The Road Back to You
Receive . . . Enjoy . . . Let go Freighted with meanings and memories, associations and reflections far beyond their official definitions, words can be an invitation to pay attention. Watch . . . Accept . . . Resist Marilyn McEntyre has chosen fifteen words as the basis for fifteen weeks of daily meditations,… Continue reading The Power of a Single Word
My growing-up Christmases were heavy on Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman. Linus's hushed tones filled me in on the true meaning of Christmas via our first colored t.v., but I wanted that story to take center stage for my own children. The celebration of Advent has been key for our family in spreading out… Continue reading A Very Tozer Christmas
Living Our Days 