Gaining a heart of wisdom
One summer day, I listened to hard words from a dear woman I had loved and admired for nearly twenty years. We were seated in her small room in a nursing home. My grandson was exploring every nook, cranny, and light switch (and eating one of the cookies we had brought for her!), and I… Continue reading What Do You Do When Looking Back Feels Safer than Looking Forward?
"Can you teach me how to make biscuits, Bam?" Blue eyes smiled the question with guarded hope, because even five-year-olds recognize the potential of no. Then, with feet firmly planted on the step stool, she measured and mixed while I coached and advised: "Mix in the shortening till all you can see is crumbs all… Continue reading The Positive Impact of Proximity: Stay Close to Your People and Rise Together
Sunday Scripture I have begun to consider listening to the morning news as a spiritual discipline, a small act of patriotism in which I put the good of our country above my own comfort or preferences. I've never been a political animal, but events of the past several years and a fleet of newly minted… Continue reading How Can an Ordinary Citizen Begin to Practice a Radical Patriotism?
Today I attacked the kind of cleaning chores that I envision other more diligent and domestically devoted women doing all the time: the tidying that requires pulling furniture away from the wall, vacuuming under beds, and applying a ferocious dust cloth to the rungs of chairs and the hidden recesses of bookcases. Homely household routines… Continue reading Elisabeth Elliot’s Unique Blend of Grit and Grace and My Review of a New EE Biography
Sooner or later, it happens to every church-going man or woman. It's as common as trolls on Twitter, and it happens almost every time we sing: We lie to ourselves, and we lie to God. Whether we're singing a great hymn of the church or something more recent, the lyrics are often aspirational--but not actual.… Continue reading Telling the Truth in Worship Requires Clear and Unclouded Vision
I have a new plant sitting on the window sill of "The Princess Room." Its pink flowers will undoubtedly bring delight to the heart of my oldest granddaughter--primary inhabitant of that particular guest room and the reason it is so named. Now, if I can only keep the plant alive! I have a terrible track… Continue reading 5 Practical Resources to Encourage Daily Rhythms of Spiritual Discipline
Serving as the substitute teacher on a field trip with a kindergarten class leaves plenty of room for disaster, but I didn't expect to come away from the experience with sadness. We spent a May morning at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and the tulips, peonies, jonquils, and flowering trees were putting on quite a… Continue reading The Power Source for All that You Could Never Be
When grown-up sons fly the nest, sometimes the parents take wing as well. Circling the breathtaking terrain and then landing in full view of the Colorado Rockies feels a bit like landing on the moon for eyes accustomed to the gently sloping ranges of Mid-Coast Maine. Look out the window, and there’s Pike’s Peak on… Continue reading Can You Perceive the Glory of God in Your Ordinary Surroundings?
Today it's cornmeal rolls, a trip to our auto mechanic... oh, and this post.Yesterday was fourth grade at Union Elementary, roasting a chicken, and making soup.Every day has its list, and I'm sure that's true of you as well. As good citizens of American culture, we're hardwired for productivity, and the checklist serves as both… Continue reading What Does It Mean to Grow in Spiritual Wisdom? (And a Free Guided Meditation)
“I want to keep it handy in case I need it,” she said, matter-of-factly. She wasn’t talking about a flashlight. Not a package of tissues. Not even a cell phone...(They hadn’t been invented in 1978.) She was talking about Isaiah 55. “I liked it,” she went on. “So I memorized it.” Come, all you who are… Continue reading Memorize the Mind of God and See Your Own Mind Changed
Living Our Days 