Gaining a heart of wisdom
Do you ever get tired of taking the same sins to God over and over, asking for his forgiveness and his help, and then failing once again? I sure do, and so I read God's promise of rest in the book of Hebrews with hope and longing. The writer puts his finger on the origin… Continue reading How You Can Seize Those New Morning Mercies
Whether I'm looking out my window or walking the length of our driveway, I love my view from home. And I love being here on the hill with my books and my very convenient kitchen. I love having eight grandchildren, and I especially love my husband and four sons (who are hilarious). Even so, having… Continue reading Falling Out of Love with the Present World
I love living where we can easily drive to a sandy beach or walk near a rocky shoreline. One Sunday this summer, we took a ferry to an island where we worshiped with a community of believers who live there year-round, managing the complexity of ferry schedules for needed trips to the mainland. I wonder… Continue reading The Only Thing that Will Keep You from Drifting
Apples are ripening here on the hill, and I'm up against the annual dilemma. I can pick everything now before more fall to the ground, or I can wait a bit and let them ripen on the tree. Some of the apples will be lovely, while others will be blighted or riddled through with worm… Continue reading Are You Looking for a Really Sure Thing?
Have you ever put something off until you were "ready" for it, until you could execute the plan perfectly, until you could see your way clear to the end?"I'll get to that," you said, "just as soon as the chaos in my life settles."After all, it's safer to hang back, to "wait and see," to… Continue reading Just as Soon as the Chaos in My Life Settles…
There are at least two camps, two opposing opinions, among women's ministry leaders about the nature and content of what has come to be called the believer's "devotional life." The view from my youth was heavy on the "quiet time" model. Settle down somewhere cozy with your Bible and a devotional book. Read the suggested… Continue reading When You’re Looking for Substantial Devotional Reading
When my sons were small, it was not unusual for one of them to place tiny hands on either side of my face and turn it toward them when they were talking to me. Distracted and doggedly multitasking, I'm afraid that I was not always a very satisfying audience, and they wanted undivided attention for… Continue reading If You Turn Your Eyes, Your Heart Will Follow
One of my college roommates designed her whole life around avoiding mornings. She scheduled no classes before 10 a.m., and her skilled sleeping techniques allowed her to sleep through the chaos of two roommates dressing, alking in normal tone and volume, and blow drying our hair (Hey, it was the 80's!). I've lost track of… Continue reading Get Your Day Off on the Right Foot
Going from one chore to another, following well-worn routines, it's easy for me to lose sight of the big picture, which is, of course, my life as a Christ-follower. Does it matter how I weed the garden or hang sheets on the clothesline? Is there one molecule in the universe that is better or worse… Continue reading Overcome Distractions as You Run the Race of Faith
Here on this country hill, we have two lovely apple trees. They have powered through their blossom season, scattering petals on the grass like snow, and are now fully engaged in the work of producing tiny green apples. We're still eating applesauce from their productive past years—and if you walk into my kitchen and smell… Continue reading Making Room for New Growth
