Gaining a heart of wisdom
Last year, I started reading through the Old Testament book of Ezekiel with a friend. Initially, I dreaded the project, my only other exposure to the eccentric prophet having been my annual flyovers, gulping down three or four chapters at a time in a hurry to get to the end. This slow read has been… Continue reading Even After Everything, Will You Make The Choice To Trust?
Fear is a powerful motivator. Even the reluctant student might memorize lists of data for fear of failing a class. Motorists maintain a more conservative driving speed in areas where police regularly patrol. Unfortunately, there is also the fear that paralyzes and leads to irrational decisions and self-protective behaviors. On the other hand, fear of God… Continue reading Go Into the Heart of Danger and Leave Fear Behind
Rosaria Butterfield writes about our tendency to interrogate Scripture and its truth with a "doubt first and ask questions later" mindset when we see God behaving in ways we don't understand. A more helpful (and orthodox) mindset brings all we know about God's goodness and faithfulness to the biblical narrative and then invites the Scripture… Continue reading Three Powerful Reasons You Should Tell Your Story
First impressions are usually lasting, and that was certainly the case with my introduction to Frederick Buechner, which came through a Luci Shaw poem. She quoted these nourishing words in a season of seeking intimacy with God: "Beat a trail to God long enough, and he will come to you on the trail you have… Continue reading Frederick Buechner’s Beautiful and Terrible World
I came of age in an era when all the truly devout and discerning were in search of "the dot." Certain that there was one particular place, vocation, spouse, role, and educational path for me in the mind of God ("the dot"), I agonized, prayed, agonized some more, listened for a clear voice of direction,… Continue reading A Joyful Life of Listening for the Echo of a Voice
Some stories leave a reader short of breath, muscles stiffened, dreading to turn the page because of the unavoidable outcome of the narrative arc. Katherine Clark's story began on a routine Friday, volunteering at her son's school. However, when she rounded the playground equipment in a schoolyard game of tag, one of the children bounded… Continue reading Where Tragedy Intersects with Truth
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”
Stop signs and flashing lights preside over busy intersections. Commas and semi-colons mark the collision of clauses. Wouldn't it be lovely if there were some ready marker or built-in gulp of air at the major crossroads of life? Kelly Chripczuk began living the transition from ten years in full-time mothering mode when her youngest children went… Continue reading Chickens at the Crossroads
A toddler-sized pair of skates wired to an evergreen spray and adorned with a bow -- that's the best I can do! But not everyone is craft-challenged like I am, and Sarah O. Maddox has made a practice of hanging a beautiful wreath on the door of her home no matter what the season as… Continue reading Wreathed in Contentment
Christine unwrapped her sandwich, completely unaware of the scornful expressions on the faces of her Kindergarten classmates. "Mmmmm . . . feta cheese and olive," she thought, taking that first delectable bite. "What's that stinky stuff you're eating," wailed one boy, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "She's eating Greek cheese!" someone announced. "No wonder Greeks… Continue reading Shame-filled to Shame-free
Living Our Days 