Fall to Winter . . .
I returned, Tuesday, from a trip in which I celebrated a family wedding and, two days later during this same week, received the news of a family death. Joy followed by sorrow. In this life, laughter and tears pursue one another in unknown and unpredictable cycles. Although the week’s October temperatures soared to mid-summer highs, […]
Sometimes I want to pretend . . .
Much of what is happening in the world brings me distress. I grieve over the lack of justice, the dishonesty, greed, and coverup of corruption in our government. Worse than that are the easy answers to complex issues, apparent blindness, or avoidance of issues which many fellow Christians seem to practice, along with the blindness […]
The Joyful Rest of GRACE
As a Christian, I’ve struggled for many years to overcome a tendency to live according to law instead of grace. Early in my life, I imagined it was possible for me to live according to God’s commandment to love him with all my heart, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. If […]
How to Find Peace in This Troubled World
At my church last Sunday, we had a special speaker who travels to many developing nations and has lived in one of them. He knows what life is like for 2/3 of the people in the world who live on an income of less than $10.00 a day. Speaking from the New Testament book of […]
HOPE for Abused Children
When I read stories of how children are abused in such destructive ways, I feel deeply saddened. Many of them believe they’ve been abandoned by God. Jesus assures us that this is not so. He loved the children. To him, they are precious lambs. When his followers pushed them away, Jesus rebuked them and told […]
Whose Approval Rating Matters?
For my entire life, I’ve wanted and longed for approval. I wanted to please my parents. I wanted to please my grandparents. (And I had eleven of them to please!) I wanted to please my teachers. I wanted to please my employer. I wanted to please my husband. I wanted to please my children. I […]
Satisfying My Thirst for Approval
Frequently, I thirst for approval. It’s a human desire and a human need. God promises to fulfill this thirst, and he does so when I turn to him. Sadly, he’s not always the first one I look to. In her book, Free of Me: Why Life is Better When It’s Not about You, Sharon Hodde […]
WHAT MAKE AMERICA GREAT?
What makes America great? Is it the money we make or how we relate? How do we relate those at our gate? Who gets to come in and who has to wait? Whom do we love and whom do we hate? Must we all agree or can we debate? What makes America […]
Goodbye to People-Pleasing
When someone you care about such as your child, friend or spouse fails in some way, who do you hold responsible? Do you help them realize that they are accountable for their action or lack of it? Or do you blame yourself for their failure and then clean up their mess? God does not clean […]
A Life-Giving Practice
Almost every morning since the first of January this year, I’ve spent the first forty-five minutes to an hour studying and meditating on Scripture. As I converse with Jesus about his words, he frequently gives me a poem or song lyrics. This is the best part of my day. When my husband hears me singing, […]