Gaining a heart of wisdom
Before I was married, I worshiped with a lovely community of believers in Portland, a church planted in the days following World War 2, in which early services were conducted in Norwegian. Some of my friends and colleagues in ministry were second or third generation church members with roots deeply planted in that community and… Continue reading Why Is Worshiping God Together So Beautiful?
The church has fallen on hard times, and there's no denying that some of the bad press has been well-earned by churches with broken leadership structures, a show-biz mentality, and pastors who prey on their congregations more than they pray for them. Even so, it's hard to get through the New Testament without doing business… Continue reading 3 Reasons You Should Go to Church this Sunday
I've lived through a good many phases of interpreting the Christian life, and maybe you remember some of them, too. In the 80s, young Christian women like me were encouraged to be fervent and verbal about our faith. It helped if somewhere along the way you'd experienced a Damascus Road turnaround with a gripping story.… Continue reading Jesus Answers the Question: What Does it Really Mean to be Righteous?
Happy Easter! We celebrate this holiday in the Western world with ham dinners and joyful anthems. The nod-to-Godders dust off their Sunday best for their annual hour in the pew, and children brave the barely-spring temperatures to go in search of eggs filled witih slightly frozen jelly beans and marshmellow peeps. If you travel in… Continue reading Happy Easter! Now Go and Practice Resurrection
Human beings in 2024 are touchy about exclusivity. It's fine for you to have a strong opinion about a product, a candidate for office, or even a moral stance—up to a point. The push-back occurs if and when you have the audacity to imply that your truth, your way, or your lifestyle is the correct… Continue reading In What Way is Jesus The Way?
One of the most frequent questions I've been asked over the years (and one I struggled with myself as a young woman) is this: "I know I'm supposed to be having a devotional time with God every day. What does that look like?" The short answer is that there's no short answer to that question! My… Continue reading What Makes a Rich and Meaningful Devotional Life?
For the first time ever, I planted garlic this fall. It's been ages since I've planted something completely different, something that required me to read the directions and something with an unpredictable outcome. Exhilarated at the prospect of a new crop, I did the research and learned that each small clove needed to be sunk… Continue reading When You Feel Stuck in Your Spiritual Life, Don’t Worry About Doing It “Right”
John Newton is best known for his well-loved hymn, Amazing Grace. He was also a vocal opponent of England’s slave trade, but those closest to him in his youth knew him as a foul-mouthed, hard-living reprobate who made his living as a slave ship captain. Early in Newton’s Christian life, his reputation would have followed… Continue reading Are You Worried that Your Past Might Cancel Your Future?
I have a new plant sitting on the window sill of "The Princess Room." Its pink flowers will undoubtedly bring delight to the heart of my oldest granddaughter--primary inhabitant of that particular guest room and the reason it is so named. Now, if I can only keep the plant alive! I have a terrible track… Continue reading 5 Practical Resources to Encourage Daily Rhythms of Spiritual Discipline
This summer, I am learning to bake, prepare meals, and can our garden produce on a much smaller scale than ever before. A batch of whoopee pies makes about two dozen. That's approximately one picnic's worth in the days of four sons living at home, but an endless (and overwhelming!) supply for this empty nest.… Continue reading Why Does Feeding People Make Us Feel So Happy?
Living Our Days 