Gaining a heart of wisdom
On Friday, August 13th, my cousin reminded me of how superstitious our grandmother had been. The conversation took place on social media, so pretty soon my sister had chimed in and added to the list of things that drove poor Nana to hysteria: seven years of bad luck with a broken mirror, death in the… Continue reading The August Book Talk Where We Are Committed to Being Not Even a Little Bit Superstitious
Here in rural Maine on an average Saturday, I might pull some weeds while I'm snipping crisp, early-morning lettuce leaves. There might be a carrot cake in the oven, a salad under construction on the counter, and a podcast playing in the background. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, on that very same Saturday, a woman my age… Continue reading Join Me in this Heartfelt Prayer of Hope for a Hurting World
My family has an almost genetic predisposition toward sarcasm. We open our mouths and out it tumbles, always standing first in the verbal queue. Most of the time it's funny, ironic, and harmless, but I'm learning that kind words fill a void that even the snappiest comeback fails to satisfy. She opens her mouth with… Continue reading How to Keep on Persevering in the Wisdom of Kind Words
Sunday Scripture We hear the disclaimers after every major tragedy: "God had nothing to do with this! A good God would never have allowed it to happen." Trying to let God off the hook for the inexplicable and ignoring scripture's affirmation of God's sovereign control over life and death, some misguided God-followers even question the… Continue reading Are You Trying to Create God in Your Own Image?
Sunday Scripture "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1) John begins his story about the life of Jesus on this planet by revealing to his readers what it had taken him nearly three long years to… Continue reading In Your Dealings with Jesus, Begin with Awe and then Move On
I remember weeding our very first garden with white knuckles, in a cold sweat. All the sprouting vegetables in our tiny plot looked sort of alike to me. The weeds were just as green and leafy as the seedlings we'd planted, so I proceeded with great caution. Too afraid to be ruthless, I left behind… Continue reading When You Know What’s Important, You Find the Courage to Be Ruthless
Sunday Scripture There's something about a wedding that revives hope and renews my optimism about the carrying power of love. My son and his bride recited strong promises about a love that lasts in a ceremony that was both romantic and sacred. Love, respect, and faithful devotion are a solid beginning for a life-long partnership.… Continue reading Have You Almost Given Up on Finding a Love that Lasts?
Our family has been looking forward to July ever since Joel's and Emilee's engagement in December. Here on the hill, weddings mean family gatherings, lots of laughter and (of course) food. Then, there's also the bittersweet reality that while we rejoice and welcome a new daughter, we say goodbye to a much-loved son and go… Continue reading The July Book Talk Where We Want to Know, “What Are You Looking Forward To?”
Sunday Scripture "Hold on a minute," I gasped as I pushed myself upright again. Repositioning my end of the load, I followed my husband into the spare bedroom where we let the heavy box thud to the floor. We made it--but I knew I had tweaked my back with my stumble-up-the-stairs technique. Fighting fear, I… Continue reading Relax Your Fear Muscle | 3 Scriptures to Support You as You Fight Fear
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?
Living Our Days 