Gaining a heart of wisdom
As unimaginable as it sounds to 21st-century ears, Anna the prophetess made a career of waiting. Widowed after her seventh anniversary, the next eight decades of her life revolved around the temple in Jerusalem. Her patient attendance there embodied the posture of her people, the nation of Israel, for they had long been waiting for… Continue reading How to Find Christmas Joy in a World of Waiting
Sunday Scripture Deer hunting season has arrived here in Maine, and this mum of four sons has heard a lot more about the habits and methods of dispatching whitetail deer than I really want to know. However, truth be told, I've been sharing wooded trails with the deer, bearing witness to deer-ish desire, since we… Continue reading Is Desire a Reliable Guide on the Path of Life?
Sunday Scripture On Saturday, I filled the bird feeder, and before I had time to close the front door behind me, an enterprising chickadee had already landed for a late breakfast. Soon, the front yard needed air traffic control to regulate all the landings and take offs. And those honking Canada geese that pass overhead… Continue reading What Makes the Birds Seem So Much Smarter than People?
Sunday Scripture Conversations at our house tend to follow a pattern. We make a plan, and my husband assumes that all will be well. That's my cue to begin thinking about the details and coming up with at least five things that could (and probably will) go wrong. I've been honing my catastrophizing skills for… Continue reading How to Fight Fear and Anxiety by Hitting Your Mental Reset Button
Sunday Scripture Maybe it's because we're just two now in a house that still feels made for six.Maybe it's the tiny snatches of news I listen to, ominous pandemic predictions and sadness around the world.Whatever the reason, I've been lighting our window candles in 2021, a practice I have always reserved for Advent, but which… Continue reading For the One Who Feels Lonely and Dreads the Coming Darkness
Sunday Scripture "Bam, how old are you?" My oldest grandson's eyes sparkled with pleasure over the edginess of his question, although I'm sure he knew I'd answer without hesitation. "I'm 58," I said because my September birthday hadn't happened yet. "You're younger than Grammy!" he reported with surprise. "You don't LOOK younger than Grammy! Your… Continue reading God is Not Distant or Untouchable. You Can Draw Near to God.
Sunday Scripture My grandkids love to play The Ground is Lava whenever we're at a playground. By sheer little-kid strength, they carry themselves over the length and width of the apparatus, climbing and scurrying to stay aloft. Determined to stand the test, they'd rather fall from the monkey bars than come into contact with the… Continue reading Whatever the Challenge, Because of God’s Love, You Can Stand the Test
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
What goals have you set for your spiritual formation this summer? Do you want to trust God's faithfulness more fully? Have you accumulated a pile of deeply challenging books to read? Maybe you've decided that you're sick and tired of feeling as if your prayer life needs work and are determined to focus on your… Continue reading Think Well | Why Is It Important for Me to Persevere in Clear Thinking?
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
Living Our Days 