Gaining a heart of wisdom
Early in 2024, little Margaret Louise added her voice, her turned-up nose, and her indescribable cuteness to the Morin family. Our sixth grandchild, fourth granddaughter, and sixteenth member of our immediate family, she is already a tiny and unique human. Because she is so very young, much of who she is and who she will… Continue reading Every One of Your Days is Given and Designed by God
Spaghetti sauce bubbles in a pot on the stove, the rich red depths of the kettle wafting fragrance throughout the house. The annual ritual spans three decades: garden-grown tomatoes, hand-picked, and placed into a basket become jars of winter provision. After all, my four sons could eat a lot of pasta! But this pot of… Continue reading How Can Mothers Instill Vibrant Faith in Their Families?
We've all met the woman who treats her daily quiet time like a lucky rabbit's foot or a spiritual vitamin pill. And we've heard from the guy who announces financial blessings in direct proportion to how long he fasts or prays. In an article at Christianity Today, James Bryan Smith pressed on that fragile boundary… Continue reading The Urgent Difference Between Legalism and Faithful Spiritual Practices
I awoke at 3:00 a.m. with the remnants of a dream taking up every square inch of my brain space. Never mind that it was only a dream. At 3 a.m., dreams are more real and more frightening than they deserve to be. I laughed about the dream in the morning, and it made a… Continue reading How to Fear Wisely—What Are You Afraid of Today?
Across the miles they drove, journeying four hours north on washboard roads until they reached this country hill. “We want to talk about the conference,” they had said on the phone. “We can fill you in on the details in person. The more you know about us, the easier it will be for you to… Continue reading Offer The Priceless Welcome And Genuine Hospitality Of Friendship
Most of the time, my habit of living by a list keeps my days on the rails. If I submit to the requirements of Monday's list, I can begin Tuesday with a clean slate and a clear head. But sometimes there are tasks on my list that I'd rather not tackle: The stick horse with… Continue reading When You Wish You Had Just Done the Right Thing
I settled down to work in my usual spot. The dining room table always provides a welcoming space for all my books and notes and an open Bible. With fingers on the keyboard, I was ready to write when a ping sounded from my phone, a reminder from an app that I hadn’t done a… Continue reading Three Strategies for Aligning Your Life with Your Convictions
Like beads on a string, our minutes slide by. Poor, cynical Solomon bemoaned the futility of it all, dismissing his significant accomplishments as a chasing after the wind. Author Annie Dillard speaks a better and more hopeful wisdom: How we live our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. The most common complaint about time… Continue reading 4 Habits for Managing Moments When Time Is Scarce
It’s been years since I opened or added to the baby memory books I created for each of my sons. They’re tucked away in a box somewhere, faithful records of first words, first steps, and my hopes and dreams for their precious lives. One inscription common to all four hangs in my memory because it… Continue reading Is It Possible to Live a Life Free of Regret?
The baby wakes up an hour early—the hour you had planned for quiet study and prayer.The teen driver totals your car on her way to a ballgame.The job interview seems to go so well that you let yourself hope, but the postion goes to another candidate. In ways that are both trivial and seismic, life… Continue reading How Can I Love My Given Life When It’s Not What I Had Planned?
Living Our Days 