Behold, Your King!
June, 1996. We stood on the Mount of Olives overlooking the holy city, Jerusalem on the other side of the Kidron Valley. We saw the gates through which Jesus entered the city, and then the temple, on Palm Sunday when throngs of expectant and jubilant crowds cheered “Hosanna!” with palm branches waving. Their king had […]
When What Hurts Most, Blesses Most
God’s ways are perfect. God works all things together for good. For years, these Scriptures gnawed at me. When intense emotional pain pervades, the disconnect between head and heart seems so vast we fear there will be no crossing, no connecting of head and heart, ever again. So it has been in my life at […]
Words Have Meaning
Last week, we gave gifts in our group. Seven young women and two older thought of each and wrote words—descriptive words of the way we see each woman as being gifted by God. Two words jumped out from the cards given to me. One I welcomed. The other? I winced. Encourager. Exhorter. Both are […]
Drifting
Sheets of icy wind gusted straight from the west across open farm fields blasting snow banks along the road such that patches of black became invisible—treacherous. I kept both hands steady on the wheel and prepared for the drifts along the way. One nearly caused us to fishtail. We held our breath as our hearts […]
Your Barn Door’s Open
Picture this. Monday morning, I head to the barn to feed the horses and realize I can’t get in through the access door. A barrow full of manure had tipped over, dumping the entire content. Not yet putting it all together, I move to my right and slide open the large barn doors. I stand […]
RETREAT!
When I was a kid, no stores were open on Sundays. Whether you were Christian or not, went to church or not, no stores were open. And we didn’t have Internet or cell phones. Yes, we had television and radio but not much of interest was programmed on Sundays. When I was a kid, it […]
The Purpose of Passion
My heart cries even though my eyes won’t. And I fear that my heart is growing cold. I fear it may freeze. My flood of emotion might just surround me and hold me tight in its frozen grip. But today, I choose to live by faith and not feelings. This is no easy feat for […]
Word Watching
We met in the woods. In a quaint log cabin nestled in a forest by river’s bend, five women opened. Here, God joined. Five Marys leaving their Marthas behind for a day. How quickly one can refresh when God is included! How quickly poor become rich when hearts touch beauty and extend grace that’s been […]
Song of True Life
Psalm 23 is the most well-known psalm because it’s the one most often read at funerals. I find that odd. To me, Psalm 23 is a TRUE LIFE psalm. It’s the best psalm for helping us walk through this LIFE! Last year, a friend and I did a study of Psalms and decided to write […]
Recipe for Life (and Dinner?)
“What’s for dinner?” the boys ask. When I tell them I’m making their favorite dish, I hear a simultaneous “Yay!” Sweet and sour pork. About once a week, fall through spring, this dish pleases. So tonight I get out my recipe, which I almost know by heart, and start mixing. Brown sugar and cider vinegar. What […]
Loving Means Listening Well
These young ladies are so precious to me. Every Thursday night they get in their cars and drive to our farm where we sit and get real. No masks, no pretensions, no judging—just truth and encouragement and growing together. Two still in college, one graduated and passionate about social justice issues, three working with children, […]
Sacrificial Fire
I admit I’m a bit of a pyromaniac. Fire has always fascinated me—the color, the movement, the power to warm, the power to burn, the smell, the sound, the light. We always seem to have a fire going here on the farm somewhere. We burn our paper waste in the barrel by the barn. We […]