Gaining a heart of wisdom
One of the most frequent questions I've been asked over the years (and one I struggled with myself as a young woman) is this: "I know I'm supposed to be having a devotional time with God every day. What does that look like?" The short answer is that there's no short answer to that question! My… Continue reading What Makes a Rich and Meaningful Devotional Life?
Have you ever noticed people's reactions when they are unexpectedly confronted with their own reflection in a mirror or a storefront window? Tiny corrections of posture, expression, or clothing seem to be called for to align the image with the person's self-perception: "Oh, no! Is that what I REALLY look like?" Lent comes to us as… Continue reading Observe Lent Full of Hope Because Easter is Coming
We've all met the woman who treats her daily quiet time like a lucky rabbit's foot or a spiritual vitamin pill. And we've heard from the guy who announces financial blessings in direct proportion to how long he fasts or prays. In an article at Christianity Today, James Bryan Smith pressed on that fragile boundary… Continue reading The Urgent Difference Between Legalism and Faithful Spiritual Practices
I settled down to work in my usual spot. The dining room table always provides a welcoming space for all my books and notes and an open Bible. With fingers on the keyboard, I was ready to write when a ping sounded from my phone, a reminder from an app that I hadn’t done a… Continue reading Three Strategies for Aligning Your Life with Your Convictions
Every year, I set a goal of reading 52 books—one per week, and I usually read at least that many. Then I show up here with a weekly book review. According to Goodreads, I read 87 books in 2023, and I'm going to cap off this year of reading and writing with a reflective post… Continue reading Favorite Books 2023—The Best and Brightest from My Reading Year
The math of social media leaves me with more questions than solutions, and the presiding symbol in the equation always feels like “less than.” When I fall into the trap of comparing myself to the gifted, the scintillating, and the accomplished, I can be sure that the spirit of scarcity won’t be far behind, sucking… Continue reading Solid Truth for the Days When You’re Feeling “Less Than”
My sweatshirt still carries the faint aroma of woodsmoke, and I'll get around to washing it sooner or later. For right now, though, I'm enjoying the memory of our quick, impromptu camping adventure in the tall pine trees surrounding Mount Blue. We carried in our water and used a Coleman lantern and a crackling fire… Continue reading Are You Becoming a True Spectator of the Glory of God?
"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
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
“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 