Gaining a heart of wisdom
Sunday Scripture Some of my favorite Christmas memories are embedded in our family's practice of Advent, simple traditions of decorating, baking, crafting, listening, and singing, all in preparation for a heartfelt celebration of Jesus's birthday. The focal point was the daily reading around the dining room table, the carols always slightly off key, and the… Continue reading Why You Should Read Isaiah this Christmas
Thirty years ago, I married into a family that celebrated Thanksgiving Day with All-American fervor, featuring a day-long gathering and a loaded table. As the new bride, I was eager to prove that I had what it took to be the holiday hostess. Having done my research, I had planned all the best sides, multiple-choice… Continue reading Gratitude: Look at the Loss and then Give Thanks
My schedule is undergoing a radical transformation as I learn the choreography of a different life. For twenty-one years, I have read stacks of books, supervised science experiments in my kitchen, and attempted to explain why math rules hardly ever change while spelling rules hardly ever stay the same. Homeschooling extended my stay-at-home mum role… Continue reading How Will You Respond to the Call of a Gathering God?
Sunday Scripture Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."Matthew 7:7-8 Have you ever heard this verse used like a blank check? I'll confess, when… Continue reading What Is Jesus REALLY Promising?
On Monday night, a crew of wonderful women landed at my house for chili and chowder--or chowdah if you're from around here. Our last pre-COVID gathering had been in February, and while we've been worshiping weekly in our lawn chairs under God's blue sky, I was beginning to miss our closer sharing of the truth… Continue reading There Is Wisdom in Listening to the Lack
My ten-thousand-steps-a-day routine is a lot easier to accomplish in June than in January, the month when we all set our intentions for the year. The green world beckons, the garden needs tending, and our mowing business is in full steam ahead mode. (On a recent six-lawn Wednesday, I passed the ten thousand step mark… Continue reading It’s Time to Conquer that Midyear Bible Reading Slump
Over the weekend, I sat between two of my grandchildren and read them a story for the first time since we began sheltering at home. We celebrated the relaxation of strict quarantine here in rural Maine with our little group of eight. As everyone feasted on pizza and whoopie pies, I prayed that I would… Continue reading When You Just Can’t Take It Any Longer
According to Richard Rohr, the prophets in a social structure stand off-center in a place of observation. Their position on “the edge of inside” affords them a view that is informed and yet independent. From this vantage point, the Apostle John was given the divine direction: “Write what you see.” And he saw plenty. Artists… Continue reading Art as a Holy Partnership
For years I celebrated Easter as if it were a stand-alone holiday, singing “Up from the Grave He Arose” without giving much thought to the horror of the Dying or the silence of the Dead. Providentially, my early efforts to incarnate and to enliven an invisible God in the hearts and minds of four sweet… Continue reading What You Believe About One Weekend in History
When the clock ticks down to midnight and the calendar hangs fresh and unsullied, we resolve to do great things. We'll drop ten pounds, eat our veggies, and work out. We'll crack open a new journal and read through the Old Testament by June. With iron in our soul, we'll begin a new year, a… Continue reading Staying on Course: Happy New Year from Ninevah
Living Our Days 