God designed and planted the first garden to meet the needs and satisfy the desires of His image-bearers. In it was every tree that was beautiful and fruitful. The gardener in me sighs longingly at this phrase. To grow artichokes for the beauty of them does not deny me a Read more
One very everyday thing is the news. The headlines are alarming. The trends are disheartening. The need for prayer is great, the list long. It can be overwhelming, and anxiety-producing. Jesus says not to fear nor be anxious, but to take heart and never stop praying. Good luck with that…I Read more
She was old, though not as old as she seemed. The years of stress and cigarettes had stripped her of beauty. Macular degeneration had robber her of most of her sight, small strokes were diminishing her ability to remember, and what she did “remember” became suspect, and cancer was already Read more
About six months ago we bought four fuzzy featherballs, hoping for fresh eggs. It’s felt like a long wait. Last week we started finding the treasures we anticipated! Instead of the blue eggs I was told to expect, they have been pinkish tan and a deep russet. The first one Read more
We are celebrating the coming of the Christ Child as Emmanuel, the With-Us God. Since the week before Christmas, I have been encouraging visitors to our home to acknowledge what they need, what their hearts need, and offer it to Jesus, taking in exchange a star with a specific promise Read more
O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in Your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before You… my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. Let the morning bring Read more
Seems like a silly question. I mean, really…He never changes, right? It’s true, but He also is living, not a static entity, and that means He is responsive. Scripture tells us that His heart breaks, He rejoices over repentant sinners, He has wrath which is not always being poured out Read more
Wow…thanks…and Ow… This morning I encountered this startling statement from Psalm 138: “I will …praise Your Name for Your love and faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your word.” That’s a pretty strong statement about where He has placed the value of His word: exalted Read more
“No discipline is joyful.”* Oh, how I hated this verse as a child! Hearing it was supposed to make me feel better about feeling bad about something that was being done to make me be better! It is challenging enough to give thanks for the hard things God brings into Read more
Many years we have kept a thankful journal during the month of November. Some years we have kept a continuous thankful list. Other years, just those around the Thanksgiving table recorded gratitude. Re-reading some of them recently brought some tears and some giggles. Stick figures drawn by those too young Read more