Gaining a heart of wisdom
I pushed the damp mop across the kitchen floor, knowing full well that I would be finding sticky spots on cupboard doors and drawer handles for days to come. The transformation of a bushel and a half of apples into smooth, pink applesauce is the work of a couple hours on my own. However, with… Continue reading What Does It Look Like to Serve Others as Jesus Served?
Sometimes afternoon lands heavy and hard. The morning caffeine has long expired, the daily to-do list looms unfinished, and it’s clear I’m going to run out of energy before I run out of day. That’s when the brownies in the pantry start crooning my name. The open carton of mint chocolate chip in the freezer… Continue reading Celebrate the Glorious Partnership of Willpower and God’s Power
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
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
Starting in the book of Acts, the history of missions is characterized by controversy. It may have begun when Paul and company set out with freshly-minted instructions from the Jerusalem Council, defining the parameters of the message they were sharing. It was certainly evident when the citizens of Lystra decided to fold Paul and Barnabas… Continue reading The Missionary Experience: A Path of Faith in the Midst of Paradox
Mothering is the calling and the gift that came to me even though I did not have either the wisdom or the optimism to pray for it. Twenty-four years into the journey, I'm still learning, and my kids are good teachers. Because my husband and I were "late bloomers" in a part of the world… Continue reading Grandparenting: A High and Holy Calling
From her earliest days, Meadow Rue Merrill dreamed of adopting a child, and she longed to travel to Africa, even wrestling a promise from her husband that if she promised to marry him, he would not stand in the way of her going. Redeeming Ruth is Meadow's record of God's "yes" to her dreams -- and it… Continue reading When God Says “Yes”
Living Our Days 