Gaining a heart of wisdom
Sometimes, I think we underestimate the comprehensive change that comes through the power of the gospel. We forget that we have been brought from death to life, from darkness to light, from guilt to forgiveness. I was reminded of this recently while reading C.S. Lewis's thoughts on the Transfiguration of the Lord in Mark 9.… Continue reading The Miracle of Grace’s Laundry—God’s Undeserved Mercy
Have you ever put something off until you were "ready" for it, until you could execute the plan perfectly, until you could see your way clear to the end?"I'll get to that," you said, "just as soon as the chaos in my life settles."After all, it's safer to hang back, to "wait and see," to… Continue reading Just as Soon as the Chaos in My Life Settles…
I'm learning a lot about running lately—not because I've been running myself, but because several of my sons have been training for marathons and relays, and I overhear them as they compare notes. It goes without saying that the point of the race is to finish, and, with solid training beforehand and good effort on… Continue reading Remember THIS When You Need to Fight the Drift
As I opened the gate to the garden, there on a broad sunflower leaf rested a bright yellow butterfly, wings unfurled in the afternoon sun. I stood very still, watching as the butterfly exercised its wings, marvelling that it didn't fly away. Later, on consulting a field guide, I was able to confirm my suspicion… Continue reading Beauty Hunt! Behold the Beauty of the Lord Today
Lately, I've been looking at the trees towering over our house, shading our front lawn, and providing a boundary around the back lawn. What an audacious trust to permit something so tall and heavy to coexist so closely with our home! A strong wind coupled with a heavy load of snow could bring the tree… Continue reading Planted and Present: A Game Plan for Growing Deep Roots
We just returned from a working vacation, a time to get away from responsibilities here on the home front and be challenged and encouraged in my reading, writing, and studying. However, before we could leave, the garden needed attention! We had to weed around the tomatoes and beets and hill up the green beans. In… Continue reading Do It Today—Don’t Wait for Everything to be Perfect
Going from one chore to another, following well-worn routines, it's easy for me to lose sight of the big picture, which is, of course, my life as a Christ-follower. Does it matter how I weed the garden or hang sheets on the clothesline? Is there one molecule in the universe that is better or worse… Continue reading Overcome Distractions as You Run the Race of Faith
Scripture memory is one of the more challenging spiritual disciplines. Right now, I'm working on Psalm 27, and it's reminding me that there's another discipline that's even harder for me. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!You have said, 'Seek my face.'My heart says to you, 'Your face, Lord, do I seek.'"(Psalm 27:7-8) I… Continue reading Speak To The God Who Has Spoken To Us First
It's only June, but already our calendar is filling up with summer plans. Conversations about beach days and family camping trips have me wondering when we'll fit in the more mundane but necessary tasks of weeding the garden and mowing the lawn. When we had four barefoot boys running summer wild here on the hill,… Continue reading A Life Lived in the Presence of the Lord
It's testing week here on the hill! My oldest grandson and granddaughter have been here with me to take their end-of-year standardized tests. Remember those forms with all the little dots to be filled in with Number Two pencils? Testing is a big deal1 because it helps my son and daughter-in-law assess their children's educational… Continue reading What to Look for When Times of Testing Come
Living Our Days 