Gaining a heart of wisdom
People and books reserve the right to surprise us, and it's a real delight when both happen at the same time. I opened the pages of Barbara Hughes's book expecting the equivalent of a heart-to-heart over a mug of steaming tea, an open Bible and a warm sharing of practices that have held us close to… Continue reading Strength Training for Countercultural Women
There are times when our kids surprise us -- or even surpass us -- with their insight. This was certainly the case with my youngest son: "It's too much," he said. "I've got all this music to learn for honors band. I'm buying a sheep. I want to work with Cyprus (his 4-H heifer). I'm… Continue reading Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy
"God spends the day elsewhere, but He sleeps in Rwanda." This may be a popular saying in that East African country, but my view of Rwanda has been shaped by 1990's era news reports of violence, genocide, and war. Jonathan David Golden has spent a few nights in Rwanda himself, and the result of that… Continue reading Created to Make a Difference
In matters of relationship, a teaspoonful of doing is worth more than a bushel- basket full of knowing. We've all read Dobson and Chapman and Eggerichs until we've become so accountable before God with all our knowledge that we are clearly without excuse. So, while it's become a tired cliché, it is no less true: … Continue reading 10 Words to Consider Before Becoming a Husband
In the every day of my walking-around life, heart and mind collaborate. Putting a note in my patient husband's lunch communicates love, but, in my case, it is likely to be motivated by knowledge: he's having a rough week; he did something terrific that I want to thank him for; the day ahead holds special… Continue reading The Apostles’ Creed for the 21st Century
Pastor and author Kyle Idleman did an informal survey via social media with just one question. "Finish this sentence: Jesus became real when . . ." The hundreds of responses he received, some general ("I had no one else to turn to.") and some specific ("My husband was killed in a car accident."), could be… Continue reading Filling Empty Things
Out loud and together. That's how my patient husband and I are reading through the Bible this year, and, believe it or not, we're just about on schedule! Right now we are taking in the book of Acts in great gulps, two or three chapters at a time interspersed with the corresponding epistles. That breathless pace… Continue reading To the End of the Earth
David stooped down and picked up a handful of stones, smooth to his touch and weighty. The rest of his story tumbles effortlessly into memory: the battle with Goliath, David's rise to fame in Israel, the finger of God upon his life. In Five Traits of a Christ Follower, Doug Nuenke fills up the metaphor of those five… Continue reading 5 Smooth Stones
Almost twenty-two years ago, I packed up my favorite coffee mug, my personal files, and a few samples of my work, and walked away from my career in human resources. Four babies in eight years, homeschooling, ministry, and a huge vegetable garden each year have hardly left time for me to look in the rear… Continue reading Purposeful, Missional Work
Big plans are great, and, without a doubt, The Great Commission is an invitation to develop a no-holds-barred, pull-out-the-stops strategy to change the world. History provides rich examples of those who did just that: Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Jim Elliot, Mary Slessor and many more whose names we will never hear. In Overrated, Eugene Cho asks himself… Continue reading Justice 101
Living Our Days 