Gaining a heart of wisdom
We've all been subjected at one time or another to the cloying behavior of the people-pleaser. What used to be called a "goodie two shoes" is now the more dignified sounding "virtue signaler," but motive is unchanged by time. It's still a desire for approval, a need to gain attention for doing good. Jesus addressed… Continue reading What Is the Reward for Doing Good?
How’s YOUR relationship with the discipline of silence? Twice in Psalm 62, David exhorts his own soul to “wait in silence,” and 21st-century believers need to have the same conversation with our souls.
I hardly ever bake our very favorite homemade bread. It's delicious and moist with just a hint of molasses. We enjoy it with soup, and it makes the best toast, but I don't make it very often because it has to rise twice in the bowl and then, again, in the pans. (I'll be sharing… Continue reading Wait, Trust, and Declare Your Allegiance to Easter Hope
One of the most frequent questions I've been asked over the years (and one I struggled with myself as a young woman) is this: "I know I'm supposed to be having a devotional time with God every day. What does that look like?" The short answer is that there's no short answer to that question! My… Continue reading What Makes a Rich and Meaningful Devotional Life?
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
Posted with thanks, unabashed hero worship, and apologies to the memory of E.B.White (7/11/1899 – 10/1/1985), author of Charlotte’s Web and other beloved tales. He wrote “Memorandum,” originally published in Harper’s Magazine in October of 1941 and then compiled into One Man’s Meat in 1942, along with numerous other exquisite essays from White’s writing life. Please celebrate with me the beauty of… Continue reading A Merry Memorandum and an Important Resource for Epiphany
With eyes sparkling, my grandson came to the door, cookie in hand, and grinned through the window. He waved at me with his free hand and then pointed to the cookie. "Thanks, Bam!" he shouted and with a leap, he was off the deck and on to more important business, but the moment stopped me… Continue reading Gratitude Is Solid Evidence of the Transaction of Grace from God
Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century French monk, was assigned kitchen duty as his ministry in the monastery. Disappointed at first that his lack of poise and formal education had disqualified him from a more conventional "monkish" life, he eventually lived his way into an enthusiastic embrace of his calling. In fact, the insights he gleaned while… Continue reading The Presence of God: Will You Accept the Invitation Without an Agenda?
