What Difference Does it Make that We Live in a Beautiful World?

We Live in a Beautiful World

Sunday Scripture Crossing the bridge and climbing the hill toward home, I wish for the perfect camera and a photographer's skilled eye to capture well the expanse of blue filling my windshield. A beautiful world, accented with yellow forsythia in spring, in summer with rugosa roses, with maple leaves aflame in fall, and by sparkling… Continue reading What Difference Does it Make that We Live in a Beautiful World?

What Obstacles Stand in the Way of Your Daily Endurance Test?

Daily Endurance Test

Sunday Scripture It's been so long since I administered a standardized test to a first grader that I had almost forgotten the most crucial skill being assessed is a little boy's ability to sit still for twenty to thirty minutes at a time while attending to academic material. Even with frequent and very stimulating breaks--butterfly… Continue reading What Obstacles Stand in the Way of Your Daily Endurance Test?

A Fond Father’s Day Farewell to a Family Patriarch

A Fond Father's Day Farewell to a Family Patriarch

Sunday Scripture Yesterday, the earthly remains of my Uncle Paul were committed to the earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Canadian border is still closed, so I was unable to be there, but my dear Auntie Dawn attended to that by including one of my poems in the program, and it will be… Continue reading A Fond Father’s Day Farewell to a Family Patriarch

Is Meditation an Important Part of the Christian Life? | A Quick Tutorial

Is Meditation an Important Part of the Christian Life?

Sunday Scripture Have you ever wished you could open the Bible and read it for the first time? What if you could hear the words with new ears and see them with new eyes? How would it feel to rediscover the words you've heard for so long that you've stopped hearing them, like the sock… Continue reading Is Meditation an Important Part of the Christian Life? | A Quick Tutorial

The One and Only Safe Place to Go with Your Weakness

The Only Safe Place to Go With Your Weakness

Sunday Scripture It's a rough school day that ends with a show down in science class. Corporal punishment has been banished from the classroom, but sometimes it's the teacher who takes a beating. "Whatever made me think I could do this job?" I wondered, collapsing into weakness on the drive home. My best efforts with… Continue reading The One and Only Safe Place to Go with Your Weakness

What Does God Want Me to Know (And to Do!) About My Anxiety?

What does God want me to know about my anxiety?

Sunday Scripture A letter from the IRS claims space in your mailbox. The doctor orders more tests but is light on details or prognosis. Your boss hints that your performance might not be measuring up. Chances are just the suggestion of any one of these scenarios is enough to make your stomach churn and your… Continue reading What Does God Want Me to Know (And to Do!) About My Anxiety?

Why You Should Pray a Psalm Every Day

Pray a Psalm Every Day

Sunday Scripture I don't recall exactly when I realized that I was missing the melody of the psalms in my daily life, but I decided to correct the situation by praying through the psalms. Now, twenty-something days into the practice, I'm grateful, because the practice of praying a psalm every day is opening up my… Continue reading Why You Should Pray a Psalm Every Day

I’ll Get Around to Considering the Lilies in a Minute, but First Let Me…

Consider the lilies

Sunday Scripture I grabbed first one and then the other Adirondack chair, dragging them both out of the mower's path, all the while thinking, "I don't know why we keep mowing around these things. We never have the time to actually sit in them." Well, the truth is that we have the same twenty-four hours… Continue reading I’ll Get Around to Considering the Lilies in a Minute, but First Let Me…

Prayer Warrior Challenge: You Don’t Have to Dread Mother’s Day this Year!

Prayer Warrior Challenge for Mother's Day

Sunday Scripture I remember clearly the momentous day when, deep in the weeds of Toddler Parenting, I realized I could do everything "right" and still end up with a wayward child. I could wear out a blender pureeing fresh veggies. I could teach and expect obedience, model polite manners, sing hymns at the breakfast table,… Continue reading Prayer Warrior Challenge: You Don’t Have to Dread Mother’s Day this Year!

How Do I Search for God with All My Heart?

How Do I Search for God with All My Heart?

Sunday Scripture I despise looking for things. As a mum, my least favorite words in the English language are, "Muu-uuum, where's my [fill in the missing item]?" I go to great lengths, personally, to avoid ever having to look for things: keys always in the same purse pocket, phone plugged in, glasses on my face… Continue reading How Do I Search for God with All My Heart?