Gaining a heart of wisdom
I had never led a question-and-answer session during any of my past women's events, but I was looking forward to the experience. I wanted to hear the questions that had bubbled to the surface after a weekend of immersing ourselves in the Bible's teaching on hope. I wasn't prepared for the challenging contexts the women… Continue reading What Happens When You Fight For Genuine Joy In Impossible Circumstances?
I did something I've never done before at a recent women's conference. In a session on prayer, I asked the women to write their most pressing prayer request on a Post-it Note so they could see it and acknowledge the reality of that desire by pinning it to paper. Then, I offered to join them… Continue reading Keep Praying with Hope for Your Prodigal Child
Two of my grandchildren live in a house with a big picture window looking out over the driveway. They are known for setting up operations there in the window whenever they get wind of an upcoming visit from Bam and Bamp. Of course, having no concept of time, they might start looking for us right… Continue reading Do You Know What Your Heart Is Hoping For?
September always feels like a new beginning to me. No wonder, after so many years of homeschooling! Give me a few sharpened pencils and a clean, unsullied notebook, and I'm ready for a fresh start, focused and impervious to distractions. Christianity is all about new beginnings. Salvation is the starting line for everyone (there are… Continue reading Avoid Distractions When You’re Running the Race of Faith
My son called with a question, and (for a change) the call was actually for me. (I don't do home renovation or car repair questions.) He had been raking blueberries and had settled down to pick them over, removing the unripe berries, leaves, and stems. It's slow and painstaking work. "How clean do you get… Continue reading Think About What You Want to See on Your Plate
The sun shone warm on my back, and my youngest granddaughter's eyes were nearly closed as I gently pushed the swing. Playground mayhem surrounded us, but we were wrapped in the quiet of a sunny summer afternoon. The grandmotherly privilege of one-on-one time with a toddler requires an intense commitment to being present in the… Continue reading Walking and Waiting in the Way of Wisdom
I spent my late teens and early twenties agonizing over the mystery of my true calling. Looking back, I now see that I was laboring under the mistaken notion that there was a very specific dot I should be standing on, some combination of my abilities and God's will that would put me at the… Continue reading How to Know If You’ve Found Your True Calling
If you've ever grown garlic, maybe you've noticed the curled, flowering shoot that appears once the top leaves are fully established. Gardeners recognize it as the "scape," and the scape needs to be snipped off to allow the plant's energy to remain focused underground in creating a big, beautiful garlic bulb for next winter's pizza… Continue reading Be Brave! Cut Off Everything that Isn’t Helpful
Often, it's the stories we've read one hundred times that surprise us when they jump off the page because of a minor plot point, missed on earlier readings. I'm reading in Exodus again and, once again, we're slogging through the wilderness. God has provided miraculous food, and Israel is singing the blues about missing the… Continue reading The Truth About Your Complaining
Every week, we make thousands of decisions, some routine and some monumental. It almost always boils down to a simple yes or no—but for the person sitting in the hot seat, the call often seems anything but simple. Sensing a market to exploit, the internet overflows with books on decision making, oracle cards, and even… Continue reading 6 Best Practices For Making Good Decisions
Living Our Days 