Gaining a heart of wisdom
Several years ago, with one tentative toe dipping into middle age, I read life-changing words from the pen of Ruth Bell Graham, who confided she was finally learning that she did not need to weight in on every topic OR to speak up at every opportunity. This seemed reasonable to me at the time, a… Continue reading 7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Speak Up
Conversations about missionaries and missions strategy are commonplace in our home. We talk about the latest newsletter updates, who's "home," and who's "back on the field." We wonder about the members of our missionary family when we don't hear from them, and we puzzle over big picture concerns in an era in which more missionaries… Continue reading Is There a “Right Way” to Do Church Ministry?
It's a common experience: the brain goes in search of a word that just will not materialize. Finally, eventually, the elusive word does come, even if it takes a thesaurus to prime the pump, and we rejoice because in conversation and in writing, finding and savoring the just-right-word to frame a thought is supremely satisfying.… Continue reading When Words Fail: Living and Lamenting through Dementia
I can remember when I used to be an advocate for early demise. My fondest hope was to fulfill the biblical quotient for old age as well as I could, and then to exit stage left with as little drama as possible to make room for the next wave. Then I became a mother, and… Continue reading Leaning into the Risk of Motherhood
Most days on this country hill are a blur. With every line in my planner filled, there's also the background music of laundry and continual cleaning. In the winter, there's a voracious wood stove; in the summer there's a garden that needs constant attention. Of course, at the far right side of this equation of… Continue reading The Work of Home
Living Our Days 