Gaining a heart of wisdom
One of my favorite church life memories was summer Vacation Bible School. The program was all-hands-on-deck as we decorated the sanctuary and the fellowship hall, welcomed the kids, provided snacks, played crazy games, sang enthusiastic songs that fit the theme, and sent them home with gospel truth on replay in their little brains. Everyone, from… Continue reading What Does It Mean to Be God’s Forever Family?
In the aftermath of a big snowstorm, I'm grateful for the good work of our son with his snowplow. He clears the driveway, pushes the snow into big piles, and leaves the yard accessible to our vehicles and our feet. What works great here in the northeast when winter has us by the throat does… Continue reading You Need to Know that God Is Not a Snowplow Parent
Ash Wednesday always catches me by surprise, usually landing somewhere in the midst of bleak February (occasionally on Valentine's Day!) and with absolutely no fanfare. I've written before about reclaiming Lent for Christ and reviving a biblical understanding of lament, so it's no secret that I believe the observance of Lent as preparation for Easter… Continue reading Surprised by Costly Joy in the Season of Lent
When my sons were small, I kept a running list of their funny sayings in my journal or in the memory books I kept for each of them. Many of the most amusing or surprising were questions: "What's inside my tongue?""Did Moses watch tv?""Does Penny (our dog) pray?" They kept me on my toes, but… Continue reading Does Your Life Inspire Questions from Your Grandkids?
We've been tackling some much-needed cleaning projects here on the hill, and it feels good to move furniture, vacuum up accumulated dust, and throw away the things we don't need. Big jobs require time and a certain amount of elbow grease, but the results reward the investment. Routine tasks are less exciting: wiping down the… Continue reading Your Only Sure Protection from the Tragedy of Moral Collapse
Was it the pair of turtle doves that tipped him off?Was it the countrified manner of the parents? Or did the Spirit of God produce an aura of light around the Child, visible only to Simeon's Spirit-filled gaze? We don't know how he knew, but since "it had been revealed to him by the Holy… Continue reading Now, We Are the Waiting Ones
Food preparation and clean-up run like a perpetual conveyor belt through my kitchen and through my life, so for me, the bigger challenge of hospitality is always logistics. I feel overwhelmed as I gather chairs from the far corners of the house. I forget to dust the top of the piano or spend too much time perseverating… Continue reading Hospitality: The Power of Authentic Connection
The word on the street1 is that, of the twelve tracks on Taylor Swift's newest album, only four will emerge unfiltered on the other side of Spotify's parental controls designed to block explicit content. Having raised my four sons in the prehistoric era of dial-up internet in a remote outpost far from the nearest smoke… Continue reading The Sure Wisdom Found in Unfiltered Gratitude
The word judge has fallen on hard times as the universe falls all over itself to be seen as broad-minded, tolerant, and accepting. Many years ago, I had an encounter at my dining room table that has formed my thinking on judges and the practice of judgment... We had just moved into the area, bought… Continue reading Will You Let Your Heart Be Judged by the Word of God?
September always feels like a new beginning to me. No wonder, after so many years of homeschooling! Give me a few sharpened pencils and a clean, unsullied notebook, and I'm ready for a fresh start, focused and impervious to distractions. Christianity is all about new beginnings. Salvation is the starting line for everyone (there are… Continue reading Avoid Distractions When You’re Running the Race of Faith
Living Our Days 