Gaining a heart of wisdom
The year is really no longer "new," and the image I've chosen for this study is -- thankfully and finally -- out-of-date (although we did have snow flurries on Sunday morning), and so today we conclude our study of Hebrews with the rich content of chapter thirteen. For weeks, I've been planning and pondering how… Continue reading Grace for Breakfast
Soaring on lyrical thermals, the author of Hebrews piles image upon image, linking his thoughts with conjunctions that urge the reader to keep a finger in the preceding pages -- all the while pressing forward for more encouragement. Finding that ten out of the thirteen chapters begin with a conjunction, this last thunderous "therefore" that launches chapter… Continue reading Running the Race of Faith
We don't know who he was because he didn't sign his name. Was it fear that drove this anonymity in an age of persecution? Or was it humility? When we studied Hebrews 7, we marveled together at the author's ability to connect the dots between Melchizedek and Jesus, our High Priest forever, based on… Continue reading The Heart of Faith
The patient husband and I have challenged ourselves to be more purposeful in our practice of hospitality this year -- to "meet the stranger at the gate" in our own little rural setting by inviting someone new and different into our home each month. January was wonderful! We enjoyed an evening with a couple we've… Continue reading The Glorious Right Angle
Living on this country hill, it's easy to feel as if I'm a throw back to an earlier time. My clothesline and my garden; the rows of canning jars full of colorful vegetables and homemade spaghetti sauce in the furnace room; the daily task of sweeping the bark and wood chips off the floor around the wood… Continue reading A Gift for All Times
A couple of weeks ago, my grandson walked into our house on his own two feet for the very first time. There was snow on the ground -- an indescribable delight to a sixteen-month-old -- and, although he is still working on balance, he strode manfully across the lawn. The expression on his face revealed… Continue reading Keep On Drawing Near
A quick (but extremely thorough) bout with a stomach virus provided some quiet in which to ponder the word "hope" in my preparation for this week's study of Hebrews 6. Skidding to a stop, writing not one word, reading not one sentence, resting in the enforced quiet, I was able to see some road signs… Continue reading Skidding into a Steadfast Hope
Peeling potatoes for dinner, I was listening to music -- a lovely arrangement around a poem by Robert Frost. Of course, I couldn't help but sing along until . . . "BONG!" The clock in the living room began chiming the hour. The sudden dissonance stopped my singing, but not my enjoyment, because I love that clock,… Continue reading The Temporary Dissonance
We had just moved into the area, bought a house, welcomed our first baby, and settled into a new church. The house was definitely a fixer-upper, but we were determined to start practicing hospitality, so we had a steady stream of company, including a dear lady who sat next to me in the alto section of… Continue reading Diligent Use of the Word of God
Author Marilynne Robinson offers a stunning and succinct summary of the Old Testament in one sentence: "Stop doing this to yourselves!" The endless downward spiral of a nation is difficult to read. The voice of God comes to the people and they disobey. He forgives and rescues them from their mess -- and they rebel… Continue reading An Urgent Rest
Living Our Days 