Gaining a heart of wisdom
I smile whenever I remember hearing Elisabeth Elliot thank a woman who had asked her a question about maintaining a healthy weight. She said she appreciated the opportunity to talk about the topic because of the popular sentiment that no one is qualified to address it. If you are thin, you don't understand how complicated… Continue reading The Topic Upon Which No One Is Qualified to Speak
The moments when I have failed to act with grace are the moments when the Gospel is the very best news to me. When I find myself needing forgiveness, a do-over, or a fresh start to the day, I come face to face with the reality that I am not equipped to construct a moral… Continue reading You Need Plenty Of Grace To Live A Holy Life
I lived south of the Mason-Dixon just long enough to be introduced to the word Hey as a greeting—not long enough, however, to become accustomed to it. Here in New England, “Hey!” is the word we use to get someone’s attention, as in, “Hey! You can’t pahk heah!” A simple southern greeting would stop me… Continue reading The Gift of Grace Wrapped Up in a Simple Greeting
Maybe I haven't been listening carefully, but I don't recall ever hearing someone say, "It was only after my huge success that I finally got my priorities straight. It was only after the big book deal and the first million in the bank that I cried out to God with sincerity." Isn't it true that… Continue reading The Gift of Grace that Grows from Our Challenges
My grandchildren are on their way to becoming good skaters. Confident and eager, they know the ropes, so I was just barely present in the semi-circle of parents and grandparents as we listened to the coach's instructions before the kids hit the ice. I could easily have missed his words: "If you feel like you're… Continue reading Staying on Your Feet is Really All About Grace
Sunday Scripture Friends had come to visit and to help, but I couldn’t have been more horrified if the people at my door had been bandits or kidnappers. Number one, I was on the couch. Number two, I had been sick for weeks and the house must have looked like a train wreck. (Fortunately, my… Continue reading Learning to Receive with Grace: Does My Help Really Come from the Lord?
Switching the microphone over to my left hand, I hooked my right thumb into my skirt pocket to still the trembling. My always-forgiving church family might have attributed the tremor to nerves--and it's even more likely they didn't notice it at all. But I noticed it, and while I find this symptom of Parkinson's disease… Continue reading Celebrate Grace and Gratitude on the Coat Tails of Mourning
I've noticed myself becoming impatient with some of this year's newly published books, which seem to be running toward Christianity as a self-improvement project. Scanning the lists from publishers, it dawned on me that there's no way I can be or do or fix all the unspoken broken that populates our world, the church, or… Continue reading Embrace a Life of Restful Exertion to Counteract a Self-Help Culture
Sunday Scripture The word grace conjures images of unconditional love, forgiveness, and a free pass for whatever I bring to the table, and there's truth in this. However, in the closing words of his first letter, Peter has woven together two very different colors and textures of yarn: ...this is the true grace of God. Stand firm… Continue reading True Grace | Find the Power for Obedience and the Basis for Forgiveness
Sunday Scripture Doing laundry for a posse of four sons often felt more like a chemistry experiment than a household chore. Scrubbing, spraying, treating, pre-washing, and re-washing were all part of the formula, and sometimes the result was great--other times, not so much. Unlike my laundry experiments, God's cleansing work in the believer's life is… Continue reading A Laundry Experiment Called Grace
