Gaining a heart of wisdom
I can hardly stand to watch my oldest granddaughter eating an ice cream cone. It's almost as if she forgets that it's in her hand, so before you know it, she's holding it horizontally, even gesturing with it, while pink ice cream drips on her shoes. Reminders are useless. "Honey, eat your ice cream" may… Continue reading Build a Strong Foundation by Hearing and Doing
By the third or fourth time one of their thorns had punctured a lawn mower tire, we had started to call them "devil trees." An invasive species here in Maine, they began to take root in fields and fencerows, but their lovely blossoms and bright berries fail to redeem the damage they cause with their… Continue reading Why You Need to Have a Thorough Knowledge of Scripture
The word narrow has taken on an ugly cast in modern parlance. Its neutral usage is defined as "something that is considerably longer or higher than it is wide." It describes parking spaces, the bridge on my road, and hipsters' ties. Narrow is also used to refer to something limited or restricted—the worst possible evil… Continue reading What Do Christians Mean by Choosing the Narrow Way?
The Golden Rule as Jesus has phrased it is one more example of Jesus’s rejection of bare-minimum obedience. Jesus has called us to a deeper obedience whose focus is character and motive—not simply actions.
I have a battered notebook that has been with me for so long that four of its pages date back to the birth of each of my sons. In this notebook, I write down the requests—big and small—that I bring to God. Help my kids to be wise and godly parents.Who gets my vote this… Continue reading Faith Sees as Good Whatever God Has Given
Social media hadn't been invented yet (thank heavens!) when my kids were very small, and I had never heard of the term #minime, but if I had, one of my sons would definitely have qualified for the role. Given the similarity of our temperaments, one would imagine a high degree of mutual sympathy, a level… Continue reading Parents, Have You Found The Balance Between Judgment And Compassion?
Here in Midcoast Maine, an alarming real estate phenomenon threatens to deepen my commitment to grumpiness. Storage facilities are springing up in every neighborhood and along every country road. While I celebrate and applaud the entrepreneurial spirit that sees a need in the market and rushes to fill it, I lament the need. (And I… Continue reading Why Do I Worry All the Time?
We've all been subjected at one time or another to the cloying behavior of the people-pleaser. What used to be called a "goodie two shoes" is now the more dignified sounding "virtue signaler," but motive is unchanged by time. It's still a desire for approval, a need to gain attention for doing good. Jesus addressed… Continue reading What Is the Reward for Doing Good?
I've lived through a good many phases of interpreting the Christian life, and maybe you remember some of them, too. In the 80s, young Christian women like me were encouraged to be fervent and verbal about our faith. It helped if somewhere along the way you'd experienced a Damascus Road turnaround with a gripping story.… Continue reading Jesus Answers the Question: What Does it Really Mean to be Righteous?
Sometimes the words of scripture seem to be written in bold type or inscribed on an envelope personally addressed to me. Even the verses about godly mothering and the warnings to contentious wives don't hold a candle to Jesus's cautionary words to teachers in the Sermon on the Mount...
Living Our Days 