Gaining a heart of wisdom
For the first time ever, I planted garlic this fall. It's been ages since I've planted something completely different, something that required me to read the directions and something with an unpredictable outcome. Exhilarated at the prospect of a new crop, I did the research and learned that each small clove needed to be sunk… Continue reading When You Feel Stuck in Your Spiritual Life, Don’t Worry About Doing It “Right”
My grandson’s favorite grape tomatoes ripen to a vivid orange in the sunshine on one of the outside rows of my garden. When he was a toddler, he would quiver with delight whenever we picked them together, filling container after container with their bright beauty—and a small cupful to stow in his cup holder for… Continue reading Wake Up to Wonder as a Pathway to Loving and Celebrating God
The math of social media leaves me with more questions than solutions, and the presiding symbol in the equation always feels like “less than.” When I fall into the trap of comparing myself to the gifted, the scintillating, and the accomplished, I can be sure that the spirit of scarcity won’t be far behind, sucking… Continue reading Solid Truth for the Days When You’re Feeling “Less Than”
One spring day, floor plans and scholarship applications littered my dining room table. The talk around dinner was all about the future as one son was building a house and another (the youngest!) was looking forward to graduation. Life as I knew it then was about to undergo a drastic change here on this country… Continue reading Awkward Questions of the Empty Nest and Answers Shaped by Love
Written by real people with genuine feelings–often worn closer to the surface than this stoic New Englander might like–the Bible gives voice to a full range of emotions. There is plenty of joy and lots of celebration, and this has found its way into our worship. However, we are less comfortable with the shadow side… Continue reading Lament Looks at Evil in the World and then Looks for God
Why is it that the big questions float to the surface unexpectedly?It’s not when I’m sitting alert with open journal and quiet mind, but rather when I’m pushing a shopping cart or a vacuum cleaner hose; when I’m mixing cookie dough or scrubbing a pot, that a face comes to mind or a news report… Continue reading How to Make Sense of a World Where Evil Sits in the Driver’s Seat
John Newton is best known for his well-loved hymn, Amazing Grace. He was also a vocal opponent of England’s slave trade, but those closest to him in his youth knew him as a foul-mouthed, hard-living reprobate who made his living as a slave ship captain. Early in Newton’s Christian life, his reputation would have followed… Continue reading Are You Worried that Your Past Might Cancel Your Future?
Rosaria Butterfield writes about our tendency to interrogate Scripture and its truth with a "doubt first and ask questions later" mindset when we see God behaving in ways we don't understand. A more helpful (and orthodox) mindset brings all we know about God's goodness and faithfulness to the biblical narrative and then invites the Scripture… Continue reading Three Powerful Reasons You Should Tell Your Story
Keeping my voice confident (more confident than I felt!), I greeted my Sunday morning learners with an unexpected request: “Let’s stand together for our reading of God’s Word this morning.” They didn’t know I had chosen a longer passage than usual.They didn’t know I had timed the reading to fill about three minutes.They didn’t know… Continue reading How Can I Cultivate a Listening Life in a Noisy World?
There’s a peculiar satisfaction that comes with being right. Given the opportunity, we’ll make an idol of it and even run roughshod over those we claim to love in order to win an argument, thereby trading peace for the honor of clutching the blue ribbon of "rightness" close to our hearts. Often what’s at stake… Continue reading The Humble Discovery of Truth that Makes Us and Defines Us
Living Our Days 