Gaining a heart of wisdom
"One year ago today... Look back at September 17, 2022." My phone flashed a cheerful message as it does almost every day, inviting me to view photos from a year (or more!) ago. It's an invitation I usually ignore but for some reason, on September 17th I accepted. My reward was a video of wind-driven… Continue reading Harvest the Goodness of Every Single Day by Remembering
My friend Joanne was continually clearing off her kitchen table–with little success to show for her valiant efforts. Whenever we talked on the phone, I could hear her moving about, tethered by a 1970s-era phone cord, and I knew what she was doing. She was clearing off the kitchen table. Again. Even so, whenever I… Continue reading Do the Next Thing and Fine Tune Your Focus
Three-hole punched and organized into a shiny new notebook, my teaching notes were ready to go. The call had come, I had done the long work of study and heart preparation – and I was terrified. Tiny voices of doubt nibbled away at my confidence: “You’re such a spiritual lightweight! Nothing you can discern from… Continue reading The Size of Your God is More Important than the Size of Your Strength
On a perfect July beach day, I stood in the Atlantic Ocean up to my knees, enjoying the rhythmic push and pull of thousands of gallons of water. However, as the surf dislodged the sand from beneath my feet, I struggled to maintain my balance. Eventually, I realized that if I insisted on standing in… Continue reading How Can I Stand Firm When the Earth is Shifting Under My Feet?
In the Pie Chart that is your life, how big is the slice devoted to prayer? I don't ask to induce guilt or to point the finger of condemnation. It's actually a question I'm asking myself, and it's been prompted by a statistic I just bumped into once again: Eleven percent of the book of Nehemiah… Continue reading Are You Satisfied with Your Prayer Life or Is Prayer Simply a Means to an End?
One summer day, I listened to hard words from a dear woman I had loved and admired for nearly twenty years. We were seated in her small room in a nursing home. My grandson was exploring every nook, cranny, and light switch (and eating one of the cookies we had brought for her!), and I… Continue reading What Do You Do When Looking Back Feels Safer than Looking Forward?
"Can you teach me how to make biscuits, Bam?" Blue eyes smiled the question with guarded hope, because even five-year-olds recognize the potential of no. Then, with feet firmly planted on the step stool, she measured and mixed while I coached and advised: "Mix in the shortening till all you can see is crumbs all… Continue reading The Positive Impact of Proximity: Stay Close to Your People and Rise Together
Sunday Scripture I have begun to consider listening to the morning news as a spiritual discipline, a small act of patriotism in which I put the good of our country above my own comfort or preferences. I've never been a political animal, but events of the past several years and a fleet of newly minted… Continue reading How Can an Ordinary Citizen Begin to Practice a Radical Patriotism?
Sooner or later, it happens to every church-going man or woman. It's as common as trolls on Twitter, and it happens almost every time we sing: We lie to ourselves, and we lie to God. Whether we're singing a great hymn of the church or something more recent, the lyrics are often aspirational--but not actual.… Continue reading Telling the Truth in Worship Requires Clear and Unclouded Vision
Serving as the substitute teacher on a field trip with a kindergarten class leaves plenty of room for disaster, but I didn't expect to come away from the experience with sadness. We spent a May morning at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and the tulips, peonies, jonquils, and flowering trees were putting on quite a… Continue reading The Power Source for All that You Could Never Be
Living Our Days 