Massacres and Scepters
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and […]
When You Don’t Get What You Want
I’ll admit it right here for the whole world (or at least my tiny slice of cyberspace) . . . I’m not exactly happy about the fact that God hasn’t answered some of my prayers the way I’d have liked. In fact, I’ve been more than a little ticked about hearing “No” or “Not now” […]
Make Every Day a Memorial Day
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his […]
Slaying That Dragon—Again
Sometimes the dragon you thought died—the one you thought you slayed with God’s word and your heaving, desperate prayers and every other right thing you knew to do at the time? Sometimes that dragon comes back from the abyss as if it had never died and been buried. One day, you turn and there you […]
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? My mom read this poem to me as a kid what seems like a gazillion times, a gazillion years ago. I never once wondered what it meant. Now, I wonder. And I’m perplexed. Exactly WHY was Mary contrary? Contrary. Webster defines . . . Opposite. Incompatible […]
You’ve Got Mail (The Truth About You in Love Letters)
Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3 Crab food. That’s what my husband calls it. He says that if I don’t have food when I’m hungry I get really crabby. He’s right. We all need food, water and rest on a […]
You Are Beautiful
I sit across from her, this friend who admits she had a nose-job many years ago. Her hair is dark, straight, short and spiked. Her features are strong. She doesn’t feel pretty, even after her nose-job. Our male waiter comes to our table and looks at me. Me only. Asks what we’d like to drink. […]
The Power of Three
Three deaths. Three funerals. Three weeks. A trinity of holy. 35 years old. Husband. Father of three. Killed in a car crash. 62 years old. Friend. Sister of one of my best friends. Heart attack. 88 years old. Ministry partner for years. So how can such suffering, so close together, be holy? All are grieving, […]
Empty? Full? Which Do You Want?
The build up to Easter is over. His death. His resurrection. His leaving the tomb. The empty tomb. The reason for rejoicing. And yet, we still deal with empty. Don’t we? We’re constantly running around trying to fill ourselves up. Aren’t we? Power. Acceptance. Comfort. Control. We all know EMPTY, don’t we? Alive […]
Terrier Terror and What We Have In Common With Dogs
Instinct. That’s what it is—the reason why our little terrier pup scared me by running off into the wild blue yonder after that rabbit. Downright ignored the red bell. And the shaking salami container. Why? Because Baker just had to. Because that’s what dogs do. They follow their nose. Instinct. That’s what drives us all, […]
Why You Need to Change Your Point of View
The familiar brown truck rolls up our farm’s gravel drive and the man who loves to play tug with our rambunctious yellow lab hands her a biscuit before handing me my box. She jumps and nearly gets him in the face with her enthusiastic expectation and her wet tongue. Yeah, and so it goes. We […]
Invisible Threats and Giving Thanks
It’s Thanksgiving week and in Wisconsin there’s a frenzy for bagging a buck, the more points the better. We live in the country. Men in orange (and some women) sit in tree stands, waiting. Some sit in camouflaged blinds, waiting, like my husband and youngest son. They haven’t fired their shotguns yet after two times out. But a huge […]