Gaining a heart of wisdom
As unimaginable as it sounds to 21st-century ears, Anna the prophetess made a career of waiting. Widowed after her seventh anniversary, the next eight decades of her life revolved around the temple in Jerusalem. Her patient attendance there embodied the posture of her people, the nation of Israel, for they had long been waiting for… Continue reading How to Find Christmas Joy in a World of Waiting
The bleak-hearted sun rose on post-crucifixion Saturday, just as it had every other day in Peter's life, but no warmth from 93 million-miles-distant could reach his frozen heart. We are not given access to his actions or his thoughts on the day following his denial of Christ and the death of his dreams, but one… Continue reading Saturday Faith for the In Between
The epigraph for Psalm 142 reads: “A contemplation of David. A prayer when he was in the cave.” How wonderful that David knew God could hear him from his gloomy hiding place. He knew very well that God was with him there in the cave. I cry out to the Lord with my voice . . .… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ Psalm 142:7
Most of the dreams that carried me forward and burned brightly in young adulthood have lost their luster years ago. My twenty-something self would be mortified at the woman I’ve become. I can imagine her indignant voice, hand on hip, eyes wide: “What? No gym membership?” “How many kids did you say you have?” “What… Continue reading Cherishing Hope for the Dream that Sticks Around
One day, the Gift of all gifts was carried into a public space. Although the Gift could have come with a transcendence too glorious for human eyes, It came instead in the arms of a young Jewish woman. No one noticed, For the Gift was small, Unexpected. Besides-- No one was looking for a Gift… Continue reading Are You Ready to Receive the Gift of Advent?
It was a day like any other day in the life-long ministry of Zacharias the priest. With Elisabeth’s goodbye kiss still warm on his cheek, he went about his business, reporting for duty in his scheduled commitment to serve in the Temple. It was a day like no other day when the honor of entering… Continue reading A Day Like No Other Day
“Wait,” He said, and locked His gaze with eleven pairs of eyes brimming with question marks. “Wait. I have been your constant companion for three years, walking long deserted roads, sharing our meager meals, sleeping under the stars. I have answered your questions and rebuked your faithlessness, and now it is time for me to… Continue reading Wait for the Spirit of Christmas
Twenty minutes on ice. Twenty minutes on my feet. Then back to the couch and the ice pack -- and that was how I made it through the early days of mothering. Degenerative disc disease and pregnancy make for some painful and complicated logistics when they converge, but, oddly, it's not the pain I remember… Continue reading A Story of Waiting
It's become a cliché, really. "Wait on God." In the glib heart, it's an all purpose non-answer. It's what we say when we don't know what to say. In Waiting on God: What to Do When God Does Nothing, Wayne Stiles opens the lens of Scripture to take in the Old Testament life of Joseph and de-formulizes that… Continue reading Wisdom for Waiting: Ten Lessons from the Life of Joseph
Living Our Days 