Gaining a heart of wisdom
“Ouch!” I yelped as a two-year-old elbow made contact with my arthritic hip joint. The volume of my outburst left me feeling a little silly. After all, while unexpected, was the jolt of pain really that intense? Well, actually, it was, but certainly not painful enough to declare my lap off limits to my squirrely,… Continue reading Holding on by Heart: Is Loving Really Worth the Risk?
Sunday Scripture The schools called a two-hour delay on the first Monday of the New Year. The condition of my driveway and my icy walk with the dog in early light confirmed the wisdom of their decision, but, even so, it left me feeling out of sorts. Substitute teaching is always a "throw the apples… Continue reading What Is God Really Promising Here?
(And Be the Real Deal) Sunday Scripture Because we have been friends since we were teens, and because we were teens during the Cold War, my friend Judy and I have a long standing tradition of greeting one another with, "Hail, Comrade," and making frequent references to Soviet-era spy terminology that are funny only to… Continue reading Sure Fire Signs to Help You Spot the Real Deal
Sunday Scripture Spring is the season of hyperbole. Here in Maine, we live in the grip of winter's clutches long after the calendar makes its equinox announcement--picture a foot of snow the week before Mother's Day! Therefore, when yellow and green begin to show up in earnest, my eyes can't take it in fast enough.… Continue reading Get Used to the Idea of Abundance
Even with a ham in the oven and the house mostly presentable, my Easter bonnet is all askew this year. Is it possible to celebrate Easter in isolation? Can we really observe the highest holy day of our church calendar without rousing hymns and communal breakfasts and the perfume of Easter lilies in the sanctuary?… Continue reading A Reasonable Response to the Miracle of Resurrection
Sunday Scripture But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so… Continue reading All You Have to Be Is Desperate
When D.A. Carson had the opportunity to interview two well-known and highly influential American theologians, he went straight to the core of their long ministries with this question: "You have not succumbed to eccentricity in doctrine, nor to individualistic empire-building. In God's good grace, what has been instrumental in preserving you in these areas?" Their… Continue reading How to Keep the Main Thing as the Main Thing
By midwinter, the empty canning jars on my basement shelves are beginning to overtake the number of full jars. Clear glass glints beside the jewel-toned beets, briny pickles, and thick spaghetti sauce. By practicing the dying art of canning, I pay attention to these containers, knowing that a family of six can put away as… Continue reading All You Have to Be Is Desperate
I’m a note-taker and a scribbler, so the pages of my favorite Bible are highlighted in yellow, underlined in pencil, and inscribed with various colors of pen, but my favorite and most meaningful markings are four sets of initials lightly penciled beside select verses. These are my four sons’ initials, and they draw my eyes… Continue reading When You Don’t Know What to Pray
Character development is my favorite part of reading a book, whether it's a work of fiction, a biography, or an historical account. The individual's motivation, inner dialogue, sense of humor, use of language, and interaction with other characters is fascinating to observe. In Empire's End, Jerry Jenkins has taken on the challenge of melding a… Continue reading Rounding Out the Narrative
Living Our Days 