Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. -Helen Keller I grew up riding horses, building forts in the woods, dribbling a basketball, and catching snakes in the little stream running slow at the edge of my front yard. Each summer I spent hours picking peas, shucking corn, and pushing a lawn mower.…
From where I sit your life seems magical. I see your posts and photos and hear your stories of adventure and travel and remodeling your kitchen. And my life seems painfully ordinary. I blame it mostly on pollen. I’ve sneezed 4,372 times in March already. My nose is raw and allergy medicine makes me crazy!…
Everyone talks about how to age gracefully but it’s important to age gratefully, too! The candles on our cake can measure the years of our life but they’re a poor indicator of the life in our years. Here are twenty-two questions to get a better measure. Happy Birthday! I’m happy to celebrate but I’m counting…
I opened my eyes early this morning anticipating the mid-morning coffee meeting with someone I’d met online. That sounds a little weird, I know, but she and I have exchanged messages for months and shared bits and pieces of our lives as Christian women, wives, and mothers. Most recently our conversations have been about homeschooling.…
Hey friends! Please tell me you’re still in the process of settling into a new month and new year. I’m over here trying to get my bearings, get used to writing “2019”, and get the Christmas decorations back into the attic! But even in this time of transition, I’ve discovered it’s possible to experience the…
What does God want from you and me? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Do you know the answer? Is your answer biblical? I grew up in a Christian home, became a Christ follower at an early age, have been consistently active in a local church, and even earned two seminary degrees. But I confess…
Yes, you read that right. You need to unfriend the mean girl. Have you ever unfriended anyone? I have and I don’t regret it. Unfriending someone on social media or in real life isn’t a decision I take lightly or make hastily. Boundaries and hard lines have been crossed repeatedly and with malice before I…
If you’re a parent, this post is for you. I know you really want to be the spiritual leader your children need! What a privilege and responsibility we’ve been given! Whether you share that role with your spouse, you’re going it alone as a single parent, or you have a spouse who’s an unbeliever, I pray…
I’m not a country music fan but I have season tickets to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I’ve been wooed across the state line twice in 5 months to wander the halls with fans from around the globe. In case you’re wondering what would compel such strange behavior I have a few words for…
I’m troubled by the trend among Christians of critiquing the church service—the form of corporate worship— as if we’re all judges on America’s Got Talent. But here’s the thing: Corporate worship isn’t a spectator sport and we’re not there to be entertained. I’m not saying the form of worship is irrelevant or should never be…
I love the sentiment expressed by William Martin in “The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents”. As I read it I couldn’t help think of the best advice I’ve ever received. Ancient Advice for Modern Parents “Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but…
This morning as I was reading Numbers 16 about Korah’s rebellion, I couldn’t help but realize how easy it is for us to lose our perspective when life feels hard and our circumstances aren’t quite what we’d hoped. The temptation to complain and grumble and blame others might be an old habit we’ve justified for…
Of all the spiritual disciplines, prayer is the one I struggle with the most. Each year I resolve to improve my prayer life but never feel satisfied with my progress. Last year, I got honest with myself and most importantly with God, about my desire to deepen my prayer life. I confessed my frustration to…
I overheard a conversation recently where some people were discussing who they’d follow off a cliff. Of course, they were referring to qualities that make an individual a leader worth following. I know for sure my list of people I’d follow off a cliff is pretty short. How about yours? But are you careful about…
Shame is defined as a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety. Have you ever experienced shame? Most of us have but I find it is one of, if not the, most difficult emotion to talk about. Today I had a complete stranger attempt to shame me. To be clear, there was…
A deeper walk with Christ is evident when our first response, our most compelling desire at any given time, in any situation, is to hunger for the advice found in God’s Word. The Word of God, when interwoven with prayer, serves as direction and guidance, conviction and comfort, a deterrent from sin, an escape, a…
Do not be thinking of how little you have to bring God, but of how much He wants to give you. He is the giver of all good gifts. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17…
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. James 3:5-6 Look in the Mirror I begin my day by looking in the mirror. At first glance my reflection is blurry, out of focus. Lenses go in and sight is corrected. Thanks…
It’s no coincidence that being watchful and prayerful are coupled by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” The word watchful is a throwback to the ancient watchmen whose job it was to sit on the city walls and scan the horizon for attacking armies…
Suppose a man made me a hundred promises. And he had ten years to fulfill them. In the next month the ten years would expire. He has fulfilled 99 of the promises and he is able to fulfill the other. Would not I have good reason to trust him that he would fulfill it? The…