Gaining a heart of wisdom
In this new year, it's time to sing blessing over our loved ones and over the year. It's time to be a blessing and to live blessed by remembering the generosity of a faithful God whose promises are solid and whose power is absolute. The words we say (and even the words we think) are… Continue reading Happy New Year Blessings for You and Your Loved Ones
This month I have been making a practice of noticing all the regular, ordinary parts of my life that inspire gratitude. If we’re friends on Instagram, maybe you’ve seen that I’ve been posting a gratitude journal (almost) daily in my stories, but I haven’t been calling it a gratitude journal. I’ve been calling it a… Continue reading The November Book Talk and Why I Think Gratitude Is Like a Bouquet
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Even in this unfamiliar season of the empty nest, I value its uncomplicated requirement of gathering with loved ones, preparing a meal featuring everyone's favorites, and cultivating a spirit of gratitude to carry throughout the year. Of course, that last one can be a little challenging, right? I keep catching… Continue reading Can I Really Persevere in Daily Gratitude as a Matter of Obedience?
Summer time is famous for its beach reads, for light fiction with a happy ending or lots of breezy self-help selections. If that's you, then I'm not judging. Happy summer reading to you! Sometimes, though, summer is the perfect opportunity to go deep with your reading, to tackle a challenging author, to make time for… Continue reading Did I Hear You Say You Want to Go Deep with Your Summer Reading?
Sunday Scripture According to the Apostle Paul, gratitude is more than a pumpkin-spice-feeling. It is a matter of obedience to the will of God. Author and poet Wendell Berry put words into the mouth of a fictional, elderly widow named Hannah Coulter who, in addition to being a crackerjack farmhand when needed and probably making… Continue reading Gratitude: A Matter of Obedience to the Will of God
According to the Apostle Paul, gratitude is more than a pumpkin-spice-feeling. It is a matter of obedience to the will of God. Author and poet Wendell Berry put words into the mouth of a fictional, elderly widow named Hannah Coulter who, in addition to being a crackerjack farmhand when needed and probably making a great… Continue reading Sunday Scripture ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The snow is flying sideways like rice at a wedding, and I'm reading Lore Wilbert's blog post about marriage. She writes: "'We don’t treat our home like it’s the place where we can ‘be real,’ as though every other relationship in our lives deserves the fruit of the Spirit, but at home we can drop… Continue reading Timeless Words About Love for Your Valentine’s Day
I'm no physicist, but it would appear that a cannon ball, shot due north from Bangor, Maine on a snowy-cold Saturday morning, could travel unobstructed all the way to the Canadian border. We left home in the dark for a quick visit with much-loved relatives, eight hours round trip, but worth every minute and every… Continue reading Musings: January 2019
One morning, deep into the throes of our kitchen renovation, it dawned on me that I had no idea where our toaster was. Having reduced breakfast to the lowest common denominator of toasted bagels with cream cheese, my quest for the toaster was more than idle curiosity, and when it showed up in the furnace… Continue reading Following the Instructions for a Grateful Heart
Last week a huge windstorm felled both trees and power lines, leading to widespread power outages throughout the great state of Maine. By some miracle of grace, we came through the storm with our lights still burning, but my oldest son was without electricity for several days. Since he and his family came here to… Continue reading Blessing Management: Jayber Crow Discussion Group (Conclusion!)
Living Our Days 