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 →
Sheltering in Grace
When I was 17 I hitchhiked through Europe with my brother. It was the 1970s and, as strange as it sounds, my parents seemed OK with this. My brother's hair was well past his shoulders and I was doing my best to look like Peggy Lipton from the Mod Squad or Susan Day from the... 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 →
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 →
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 →
God of the Pit
Corrie Ten Boom's autobiography, The Hiding Place, tells the story of an unlikely heroine -- a 50 something, unmarried watchmaker from Haarlem, Holland, who alongside her sister and father, worked with the Dutch underground during the Nazi occupation, hiding Jews in the secret annex of their home. They were ultimately caught and Corrie and Betsie... Continue Reading →
Anxiety and Mushrooms
For years, God's voice in my head mimicked that of my mother Peggy urging me to try harder, perform better, attain more. Don't you see? You're not quite good enough. So when my friend, Sally, gave me a copy of the daily devotional called Jesus Calling, it was a spiritual game changer. It turns out... Continue Reading →
A Testimony of Faith and the Power of a Preposition
My testimony of faith is not dramatic. It is not material for an essay, a book, or a Guidepost Magazine article (the latter having been annoyingly consistent in its rejection of my submissions - which I don't hold against them. Well, maybe a little.) My story of faith can be summed up by the preposition,... Continue Reading →
Seen a burning bush lately?
The host of Moody Radio's morning show asked, "What's the fresh thing God is doing in your life?" A pregnant mom of a 3 year old called in on her way to work. She'd been feeling overwhelmed, weary, at the end of her rope. Then God spoke to her heart. With two words. I AM.... Continue Reading →
Even Though’s and Yet’s
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... Even though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea... Even though a host encamp against me... OK, I am not keen on ANY of these circumstances befalling ANY of us. And I am certainly opposed to being thrown into a... Continue Reading →
A Meeting of the Mind
I struggle with insomnia. I fall asleep without issue, but my mind pops awake with important agenda items round about 2AM. My mind is a horrible boss with zero sense of humor. And it runs a bad meeting. First it has me revisiting the previous day's failings. The toddlers who cried nonstop at the the... Continue Reading →
A CAVU Day
I was sitting through a mandatory meeting about changes in the math curriculum. I kept my eyes on the speaker enough to feign interest. Mostly I stared at my phone's unresponsive face resting on my lap, mute and slightly mocking. When the speaker broke us into small groups, I offered the most minimum of input.... Continue Reading →
Nicknames Good and Bad – My Year as the Teacher’s Pet
I was a chubby kid with too-short bangs (mom, what were you thinking?). I lived in the shadow of my center-stage brother who called me "B-Fink". Not a term of endearment I'm fairly certain. (I adore him now and we are very close.) School was not a place of refuge. I was a slow reader. ... Continue Reading →
A Word About Anxiety
I am a fear-ridden flyer. I gaze out the window on high alert for birds (and now drones), other planes, dark clouds. I study the flight attendant's demeanor for signs of pending disaster. Is there relaxed banter? When they ask us to find the nearest exit, I'm counting rows and assessing the skill level of... Continue Reading →
