Gaining a heart of wisdom
We are covered to the elbows in red and green paint, but the festive wrapping paper stretched out to dry on the table before us more than justifies the mess. The toddler points to his distinctively tiny handprints and smiles his satisfaction, as his older brothers start wondering aloud about cocoa with candy cane stirrers.… Continue reading Find Room for Hope in Your Heart this Christmas
Thirty years ago, I married into a family that celebrated Thanksgiving Day with All-American fervor, featuring a day-long gathering and a loaded table. As the new bride, I was eager to prove that I had what it took to be the holiday hostess. Having done my research, I had planned all the best sides, multiple-choice… Continue reading Gratitude: Look at the Loss and then Give Thanks
Three Things I Learned this Summer Sometime back in March, it seems all our learning curves took a drastic turn toward the vertical. Some of us are learning about resiliency, developing strategies for managing anxiety, or maybe discovering new ways to enjoy our families. At times, maybe we feel like the guy who was told… Continue reading Concerning the Times and the Seasons–Summer 2020
Sunday Scripture Patriotic holidays seem to be slipping by me this year. The challenge of distinguishing one day from another only complicates my nose-to-the-grindstone manner of living during this season of recovery from pandemic. In years past, we created red, white, and blue T-shirts with copious globs of fabric paint every Memorial Day and then… Continue reading Working Hard at the Practice of Patriotism
Sunday Scripture Our son sawed lumber, hammered nails, and used a paintbrush dipped in Mediterranean Olive green to create custom made doors for our bathroom closet. There are any number of things a twenty-year-old guy could do with his Saturday. He chose to give his away. When Jesus gathered in the Upper Room for the… Continue reading A Lenten Celebration of the Love of God
When autumn lands with all its beauty, it's reassuring that family celebrations around apples and pumpkins and brightly colored leaves will counteract the dread of encroaching darkness and falling temperatures. As the days grow short and the nights longer, Meadow Rue Merrill offers a sweet picture book story featuring an alternative fall celebration that focuses… Continue reading A Celebration of Light in a Season of Darkness
Consider is a word that pops up all over the place in Scripture, and was even on the lips of Jesus as he invited a crowd gathered on a hillside to "consider the lilies of the field." For most of us, there's hardly an area of our lives that would not profit from a dose… Continue reading Intentional Parenting with a Vision for Your Family
He floats the question, and I almost miss the impact. Coming as it does in the midst of a firestorm of holy fury against the false prophets who are Jeremiah's contemporaries, the question sounds rhetorical:  “'Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in… Continue reading Musings: January 2018
In a decision that somehow manages to seem both arbitrary and precise, the Council of Nicaea met in 325 A.D. and determined that Easter would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after the first day of spring. Easter and spring are also holding hands in Anne… Continue reading Gifts of Easter
Holding hands around a table; a focus on gratitude and shared celebration; dressed in their Easter best, the Berenstain Bears lead the way into a fun and family-oriented celebration of Resurrection Sunday.  Presenting as normal the discipline of church attendance, prayer before a meal, and portraying the beauty of love and respect among extended family, Easter… Continue reading Easter Morning and Every Morning
Living Our Days 