"Every day my mother would name out loud 3 things she was grateful for. Toward the end of her life, it became increasingly difficult to identify her 3 ... but in the midst of tubes and pain, she still managed to give thanks to the God she had followed all her days." Grace (pseudonym) shared... Continue Reading →
Yet I will…
"Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vine. Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food. Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls. Yet I will exult in the Lord. I will... Continue Reading →
Crashing Waves; Eternal Hope
Life comes at us in waves. Sometimes the waves bring the loss of a dear friend, finances in jeopardy, or an unwanted diagnosis. People glibly tell you, God will not give you more than you can handle. This is false theology. The Bible says that trials are coming and they are more than we can... Continue Reading →
Wearing my mother’s jacket
My mother's closet was as fastidious as she - blazers on one side, slacks on the other, and on the shelf, rows of purses and hats (floppy Florida hats, the pinker, the better.) Most everything carried a designer label. After mom's memorial service, the women of the family had eyes for her closet. I was... Continue Reading →
Where is God?
Brett and I are trying to reel in our consumption of cable news which has a habit of playing in the background on our kitchen TV. Staying informed is important, but when the dire images leave you distressed and immobile, it's time to make changes. Our TV now plays the Tennis Channel most of the... Continue Reading →
Swaddled
I was reading Luke's account of the angels visiting the shepherds with the stunning announcement that the Savior had been born. Here's the beloved Linus version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOofCTbv96s One phrase stood out to me like never before. "Wrapped in swaddling clothes". Maybe it's because I am a brand new Grandma and the other day... Continue Reading →
The E Word
James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." There it... Continue Reading →
Never Alone: The Scandalous Love of God
An Advent Devotional Matthew 1:20-23 "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son,... Continue Reading →
Praise: The Antidote for Sadness
Jeanne and I used to laugh when classroom teachers were smothered in flowers during Teacher Appreciation Week, or when they amassed stacks of Starbucks gift cards during the weeks leading up to Christmas. As reading teachers working in small intervention groups, we might have received a candle that looked like it had been lit, an apple-pin slightly tarnished,... Continue Reading →
Trusting God in the Face of Garbage Cans
When the sun is shining, when relationships are sailing, when CostCo has restocked its Kirkland pinot noir from Oregon - that's when I am all-in with God - praising, humming, brimming with spiritual contentment. But when life takes a turn, or as someone recently put it, "When life throws garbage cans in your path," my... Continue Reading →
Praying Big
God, I pray with expectation that you will... I used to think prayers like this were presumptuous, even manipulative. He is God after all. But then I got to thinking... Jesus criticized those who doubted God's miraculous power - "Oh ye of little faith" he called them. And when Jesus did perform a miracle, he... Continue Reading →
Where do you turn when…
You sit in the doctor's office waiting for test results. A midnight phone call bodes difficult news about a loved one. You don't get the job. (Or worse, they neglect to inform you that you don't have the job.) At such times, there are different responses falling into two categories -- ignoring (or resenting)... Continue Reading →
Even the sparrow…
Last night Brett and I sat in our backyard watching with great concern as a baby sparrow flailed its tiny wings and flitted across the grass. One of its wings seemed underdeveloped and the little birdie could not get airborne. However, it was not lacking confidence as it circled our yard, pecking here and there,... Continue Reading →
Trust versus Fear: My Mom’s Favorite Bible Verse
My mother loved this verse from Isaiah 45, "I will go before you and make the rugged places plain. I will break in pieces the doors of brass and cut asunder the doors of iron. And I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches in secret places that you may know that... Continue Reading →
The Power of Prayer
My neighbor, Mary, a longtime nurse, commented, “I am not very religious, but I have witnessed the power of prayer. I don’t know how it works, but when people pray, I have seen healing.” I believe in the power of prayer. Prayer to a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all love. This God is... Continue Reading →
