We Christians are fond of saying, God really showed up. We love to share our God sightings. My personal sightings include the time I was walking to a podium, my heart pounding thunderously, and suddenly I lay eyes on my college speech professor sitting impossibly right in front of me. I had not seen Dr.... Continue Reading →
God’s Resume Versus Mine
The loan officer hands me a pile of documents with yellow post-it arrows indicating where I am to sign. He hands me a pen. Now I don't know if this is a thing - or my own unique phobia. But I actually get nervous signing my name when others are watching. My signature disintegrates to... Continue Reading →
Psalm 91:4-6 — A memory verse challenge
My niece and I have a monthly challenge of memorizing a Bible verse. We started this practice in early March, on the eve of the pandemic and just prior to her son's boarding a plane for his deployment to the mountains of Afghanistan. Her son is now living in a remote tent village where worries... Continue Reading →
3 Things
"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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Staying Clay
The banker slid the document across his desk and handed me a pen. "Sign and date on this line." I took the pen and signed my first name, Barclay. Then I began with the first syllable of my last name, Mar. Quite unexpectedly, my mind veered from the signature line to imagining the banker's impatient... Continue Reading →
Of Pride, Humility, and a Wayward Veil
August 10, 1986. The sun had broken through the clouds and was shining brightly against a deep blue backdrop. Our wedding ceremony and reception aboard the Free Spirit, cruising through Chicago's Burnham Harbor, had exceeded all my dreams. Brett had been dashing in his white tuxedo, our vows had been heartfelt, and there had been... Continue Reading →
The little blue booklet
My mother spent time with individuals nearing the end, their Florida living rooms sporting a hospital bed, a hospice nurse at the ready. She was not shy about presenting the Gospel. And leaving a little blue booklet on bedside tables. A booklet containing her favorite promises from God. Over time mom's booklets were sprinkled throughout... Continue Reading →
Big Lessons from Little People: Finding Jesus in the Toddler Room
All names are pseudonyms. “Praise Him! Praise Him! All you little children; God is love; God is love.” Eight toddlers vigorously shake their jingle bells, shouting things unintelligible, while Dawn and I sing an off-key rendition of this classic Sunday school song. “Shall we do it again?” Dawn asks. Two year old Trevor is trying... Continue Reading →
Shadows and Shelters 