Silver Hair and Wisdom Hard-Won
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV I sit across from him at our favorite Italian restaurant, waiting for our pizza to come out of the wood-fired oven behind […]
Giving Thanks When Grief is Fresh on Thanksgiving
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 […]
How to Consume Life-Giving Lamb
I ate the lamb shank—the lamb I ordered—Sunday night. For those of you who are vegetarians, I’ll try to be sensitive. Truth is, I found that shank extremely tender and tasty. Still, I wonder if I ought to partake of an animal that was “sacrificed” for my sake. Why can’t I even eat a tasty […]
What To Do When You’re Overwhelmed
Ever felt like your life is flying by so fast that everything’s a blur and you can’t remember what you did two hours ago, let alone two days ago? When your days are stuck in fast forward and you’re trying to pack more and more in like a suitcase you simply MUST sit on to […]
When The Sky Is Dark and the Rain Comes and You Wonder If You’ll Ever See the Sun Again
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Luke 4:18-19 The thunder rolled. And […]
Through Thick and Thin
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 Hayfield came down the other day. At least part of it. We split the harvest with the farmer up the road who has his cows. He’s got the equipment. We’ve got the grass. His cows and our horses need […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Glory Hunting
I wake to the the sun streaming on my side of our bed. A new day. My first thoughts? A prayer formed from words in Lamentations about hope in the midst of affliction. Oh God, because of Your great love we are not consumed, for your compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great […]
How To Make a God
There is no such thing as a human being who does not worship. We all believe in something so much or want something so strongly that we will sacrifice just about anything in order to get it or keep it. This is our god. These are our gods. They may not be golden calves causing us […]
Vision of Glory
One thing I ask of the LORD, This is what I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To gaze upon the beauty of the LORD And to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his […]