Feeling the Heat? Burned Out?
I’m sitting here at 5:15 am, as usual, with a hot mug of coffee, candles lit in my little corner of the world, not a bit of light outside except for the stars, and still more than two feet of snow on the ground. It’s cold. It’s Wisconsin. Steady heat doesn’t come here till June’s […]
Coping or Living?
I’m clinging. I’m holding tight to a Scripture verse and not just as some theoretical, pie-in-the-sky, feel-good, hope-it-works, string of words. I’m clinging to a verse as though my life depends on it. Because it does. Because if I don’t cling—if I don’t savor and swallow and live each word, I will die from anxiety. […]
Questions
A dear young woman I am blessed to know wrote me an email this weekend. She’s asking hard questions—questions I’ve asked and still ponder. Why do those who don’t love God prosper? Doesn’t God say He will prosper His people? How can I have faith in God when my basic needs aren’t […]
Alabaster Jars
One of the best blessings of having kids is the great books we read together. And though our kids are older, some books we read over and over because they are so special. Our favorite Lenten book is Journey to the Cross by Helen Haidle. Every day for forty days we take a step closer […]
Counting Costs
We sat at lunch yesterday and this young twenties, beautiful soul looks straight at me and says . . . How come we always hear how salvation is free but we don’t hear much about what comes after—the cost of following Christ? Over pizza we discuss theology and cover a lot of biblical terrain on the […]
A Cardinal Concept
cardinal adj. 1. Of foremost importance; paramount. n.1. A North American finch having a crested head, a short thick bill, and bright red plumage in the male. (The American Heritage Dictionary) Feed them and they will come. On a blustery winter day after fresh snow had fallen, I filled the feeders with black sunflower seed—the […]
Forest of Life
Morning brought perfection for cross-country ski aficionados like us. Sunny sky in periwinkle blue, not even a breeze, comfortable winter temperature, thick snow bending branches low. The whole seven mile loop yesterday and another today was a winter wonderland of God-made beauty. Life and how we live it made me stop often to capture […]
Seal of Approval
I remember thinking that if Good Housekeepingendorses a product, it must be good. Their seal of approval carried a lot of weight in my mind. Last night, a circle of young twenties women gathered in our living room for Bible study. We’re going through Jennie Allen’s Stuck, taking a serious look at what keeps us […]
Dying to Live
When I was a child, I searched the TV Guide this time of year in eager anticipation of the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz. The movie captivates me today the same as it did decades ago. Some scenes left an indelible mark on my memory. Like the one where the wicked witch flies […]
Uncuff Him!
What a way to start the day! I walk up the stairs to the loft, coffee mug in hand, and see Nick already seated at the table with the Vos Bible in front of him. This is how we begin. But today, something’s a bit different. He’s sitting there still, in a camouflage print shirt. […]
Running on Empty
Heading east on Interstate 23, I look down at my gas gauge. My heart pounds. The yellow needle is on empty and I don’t know how long I have been driving like this. I pray. God, please help me get to a filling station before I run out of gas! Hands clenching wheel and back […]
With Love, God
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness . . . Jeremiah 31:1 His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His […]