Gaining a heart of wisdom
Sunlight slanted through the passenger-side window, and a light breeze lifted the pages of the Bible that was propped against the steering wheel to make room for the notebook in my lap. Middle school band practice always lasted 45 minutes -- not long enough to bother going home. And since the older children were all… Continue reading Can Busy Mums Really Find Time to Spend with God? (Part 1)
Hand in tiny hand they meandered their way down the aisle, flower girl and ring bearer, each gripping a bouquet, searching the crowded pews for the faces of their grandmothers. I can't recall ever seeing a more beautiful flower arrangement than the one with the dangling rose that I received from my grandson at his… Continue reading Musings — June 2017
Glory is everywhere in these short days of summer. A walk to the mailbox overloads the senses with unusual bird sightings, progress in the garden, and the frenzied buzzing of bee scouts filling their saddle bags with the makings for a flourishing life. Clyde Kilby* laments: "One of the greatest tragedies of the fall is… Continue reading The Familiar Glories
"What's your family's favorite movie?" my friend Melanie asked me. She was working on a post about great family-friendly movies to watch over the summer. Would I choose a movie and write a review for her to share with her readers?" Of course, I would! Cue the popcorn-scented memories of boys in pajamas, four abreast… Continue reading Amazing Summer Movies for Families to Enjoy
For all its challenges, moving into a fixer-upper six days before the birth of my oldest son was what set my face like a flint in this direction: We will not wait for perfection. We will welcome the world into our home. Hanging off the northeast corner of the U.S. mainland, we’re not on the… Continue reading Around the Table. Around the World
We were greeted with warm handshakes and pleasantries, an outline of the morning service, and then a startling announcement: "We assumed that your wife would want to take the children." In the early days of our marriage when my husband was the area director of a children's ministry, I used to travel with him to… Continue reading Women in Ministry: What God Wants You to Know
Returning from a family vacation (and a blogging break!), it's great to be rested and to have stored up some delightful memories with my patient husband, our two youngest sons, and with dear friends who love us so much and so well that they even welcomed our big slobbery dog! On the Nightstand Not… Continue reading Musings — April 2017
When my thrifty mother-in-law made mincemeat, she would start with the venison roast from a deer who may have had the audacity to nibble on her tulip leaves. From there, she would improvise, adding whatever needed using up on that particular day: a batch of jam that didn’t “set up” just right or an over-abundance… Continue reading Start Where I Am. Use What I Have.
It's nearly time. Even two weeks ago, standing thigh-deep in snow beside the bush, I could see that the buds had begun to swell large, and so it won't be long until I lop off some of the bush's waywardness and then arrange the bare branches in a vase of water. I will begin watching… Continue reading The Radical Simplicity of Looking Up
What February lacks in length, it has more than offset with depth -- of SNOW and MUD! No sooner do we shovel our way through two feet of fluffy beauty, than the sun comes out and melts it all, turning the world into chocolate pudding! It's almost as if God is telling us to slow… Continue reading February Musings — 2017
Living Our Days 