I had never been in this particular store until yesterday. And I hadn’t planned to be there at all. I was looking for three things. I had already found the shoes I needed and the tote bag to replace my tattered thrift store purse. Now I was hunting for a Read more
Lately I have been enjoying a mixture of spices, coconut milk and maple syrup in my coffee. I have noted that my pain levels seem to be reduced after my morning mug. This comes as no surprise since my mom used coffee for pain relief for many years, having an Read more
Do the works you did at first. –Revelation 3:5b What does that mean? How are those different from what I am doing not? How do I define “first love?” First in importance or in order? Both, probably. First in importance was the love I had for Jesus after my encounter Read more
There is much sadness in our lives: disease and decay in our bodies; deaths of dear ones; divorce and distress in marriages, international war and interpersonal conflict; rebellion against God that brings disaster, both personal and global. It is no wonder that the most abundant type of Psalm is a Read more
“Sometimes fault lines can only be identified and mapped after an earthquake.” —40 Days of Decrease, Alicia Britt Chole That’s why failure is such an important thing to not be protected from. (She says from her ivory tower…) We often ask God to bless our event, activity, or adventure, expecting Read more
Usually when we say “everyday,” we mean common, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, and that is certainly what I intend when I talk about following Jesus in the everyday: dishes, laundry, gardening, family relationships, church stuff. When Jesus was introducing His hearers to the Kingdom of God the way God sees it, He Read more
No, there are not a dozen drummers in my living room, nor is there a Shakespearean fantasy opening on my back porch tonight! (Just in case you were wondering.) There is however, a tradition that the Wise Men visited the Child on this day years ago. (The Magi’s gifts gave Read more
Word choice is an important aspect of speaking and writing. If I say, “walk,” it might make any number of pictures in your mind. But, what happens when I use a word like “stroll” or “stride?” How about “amble” or “strut?” “Pace” or “march?” All have the idea of covering Read more
Counting the hours that I lay in a hospital bed…waiting… Counting the days till a birthday gift massage… Counting the minutes until the absent loved one comes home… Counting the seconds the microwave has to warm up my coffee… There is lots of counting in our lives. Some of it Read more
It has been an almost unendurably hot summer! Many trees in my neighborhood are brown and crispy. Even the heat-loving vegetables in my garden have struggled to produce. It was even too hot for my okra! The temperature has exposed weakness in the care we give the plants that don’t Read more