The Presence of Peace in the Midst of Grief
The second week of Advent, we light that second candle. The peace candle. Peace. I want that flame to touch every wicked thing around the world this Christmas. I want peace on earth and goodwill to spread towards all. This is what we sing this season, isn’t it? Peace? Goodwill? And yet, Aleppo’s without water […]
To Have and Hold Hope
“How can you sit and listen to people in pain all day long?” People often asked me this question when I worked as a therapist. Truth is, I viewed my job as a privilege to sit face-to-face with people in great inner pain, holding hope for them when they could not hold hope for themselves. […]
My Personal Post-Election Lament and Encouragement
Influenza did me in before the election. For four straight days, I was literally sick and tired. When not sleeping, which wasn’t often, I just prayed. I prayed for my health. I prayed for my family and friends. I prayed for our country and our leaders. In fact, I’ve never prayed so earnestly about the […]
The One Right Choice in This Election
‘Tis the season to be jolly Fa la la la la, La la la . . . Bah! Humbug! Some are thinking it. Some are feeling it. Some are saying it. This season, opinions are flying faster than migrating birds. What the hell is happening to us? (Yeah, go ahead. Raise your eyebrows. Get […]
How Can We Turn Away from Such a Great Love?
Leslie Leyland Fields is a multi-faceted, precious jewel—brilliant, wise, accomplished, humble, and generous. She has been part of her family’s Alaskan commercial salmon fishing operation for decades on the edge of a continent. For the past four years, she has welcomed writers to her Alaskan wilderness fish camp each summer, teaching how to create beauty with words and […]
When You Need Lasting Peace and Solid Hope
Which one should I choose? Back and forth I went on Sunday night, wondering. Who would get my vote? Who would win? Who would lose? I was kind of beside myself with the choice set before me. I could choose only one! So, I chose to watch the debate instead of the Packers. Nearly […]
When Darkness Engulfs
I’m not going to get political in this piece. I’m going to get personal. And spiritual. Because the spiritual should affect the personal and the personal should affect the political. What I’ve witnessed these past few days is the reverse order of God’s order and all hell has broken loose. Now, the creeping darkness has […]
True Independence
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 Today is Independence Day, 2016. For starters, I reread the Declaration of Independence (click to read) and familiarized myself with the reasons we separated ourself from England in 1776. One word . . . […]
At the End of My Rope and What Came Next
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 I have a love/hate relationship with spiritual growth. Actually, I prefer to do things I love. I prefer to […]
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 […]
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 […]
Growing Up
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18 Saturday was prom day for our youngest who turned 18 three weeks ago. I close my eyes and see him in that navy blue & white striped shirt he wore the day I held him for the first […]