Gaining a heart of wisdom
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
Waiting for spring, hanging off the northeast end of the U.S. mainland, it’s a challenge to get into an Easter frame of mind. The dark is still holding sway over the light, and resurrection-thinking requires a muscular faith. Although the calendar tells me that spring will come, this hope in a future date can seem like a… Continue reading When You Are Wondering if Spring Will Ever Come
Have you ever noticed people's reactions when they are unexpectedly confronted with their own reflection in a mirror or a storefront window? Tiny corrections of posture, expression, or clothing seem to be called for to align the image with the person's self-perception: "Oh, no! Is that what I REALLY look like?" Lent comes to us as… Continue reading Observe Lent Full of Hope Because Easter is Coming
I've recently taken up my knitting needles and resumed the practice of making mittens. My homemade mittens used to warm the hands of my four sons, but these days I'm working on making mittens for my six grandkids. Right now, I'm over halfway through the second tiny pink pair. I love being “Bam” to six… Continue reading How Has God Demonstrated His Love for You?
An Old Testament Love Story—My Valentine to You! Oh, how she had grown to hate him. Ten thousand offenses, both small and large, had accumulated over the years since their arranged marriage. Practical and traditional, Father had seen a prosperous match: “Abigail, you will marry a descendant of Caleb,” he had exulted. Abigail had found… Continue reading An Unexpected Love Calls You to Rise and Follow
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
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
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
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
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?
Living Our Days 