Gaining a heart of wisdom
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
Tim Keller and the Ministry of Competence My teacher husband is beginning the process of retirement after 33 years in an elementary school classroom. Believe it or not, it's more complicated and requires more thought and paperwork to STOP teaching than it does to accept a new job. Nonetheless, he's encouraged by the realization that… Continue reading Your Work Matters to the World
The slow work of sanctification is a lifelong process. Therefore, most of us get out of bed every morning confident that our "three score and ten" leaves us plenty of tomorrows. Does that sound like a valid license for procrastination to you? With Pentecost Sunday approaching us on the church calendar, I'm thinking about its… Continue reading Celebrate Pentecost with New Commitment Based on an Old Revival
When we wake, no matter how we wake (instantly bolt upright or groping toward consciousness), we begin our day beloved by God, and the staggering truth is that nothing we do in the course of each day will either magnify or diminish that standing. Proverbs 4:18 likens a righteous life to that first gleam of dawn,… Continue reading Incremental Growth and Maturity Are Ageless Gifts
In the little church we call home, my husband and I are team-teaching the adult class, and our goal is an overview of the entire Bible. We're talking outlines, key verses, and major characters, but most of all, we want to consider how each of the sixty-six books fits into the narrative arc of God's… Continue reading Can We Justify Deep Learning In These Troubled Times?
Growing up in the era of analog timepieces, I was fascinated by my grandfather's pocket watches. The rhythmic tick and the steady movement of the second hand that somehow seemed connected to the slow movement of the minute hand puzzled me, so when his watch wore out, and he needed a new one, he gave… Continue reading Beware of Three Dangerous Myths about Wisdom
I listen to a LOT of podcasts, and among my favorites are the author interviews in which the host dives into the story behind the book. I'm in awe of people with the tenacity and optimism required to see a book project all the way through to its completion. Maybe you would define success by… Continue reading How Do You Define a Successful Life?
When he washed his disciples' feet, when he slipped away from the crowds for solitary prayer, when he honored, taught, and conversed with women, Jesus was a puzzle to his people. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate yet one more occasion in which "his disciples did not understand these things at first" because who rides into… Continue reading Did You Ever Wonder What It’s Like to be Humble?
Living Our Days 