Not neat and tidy. Nope. This following-Jesus stuff is messy! Questions come up that don’t have any neat solutions. Or even straight-forward ones. Conflicts arise for which there is no resolution. Depression hits and won’t let up. Disease and death still affect and afflict us, cheating and robbing us of Read more
“You guys are like stubborn playmates on the playground…I suggested a great game full of delight, and you poohpoohed it. When my friend told you a sad story, none of you were willing to listen and cry over it with him.” When I came across this passage (my paraphrase), I Read more
Little numbers on the scale, little words spoken, little words unsaid, little seeds and little seedlings…Little fingers and toes, little hugs, little squeals… As much as I would, or think I would, like to have a monumental impact on the worlds around me, most of my life is made up Read more
God makes a stunning commitment to Samuel: He did not let a single word from Samuel’s mouth “fall to the ground.” Reading this yesterday, my response was to pray, “Let none of my words ‘fall to the ground,’ but keep my aware of them so that they will bear fruit, Read more
My dad had a poster near his desk with a Raggedy Ann doll bring squeezed through a wringer. (If you know who and what I am talking about feel free to skip the next paragraph! If you don’t know, the internet will tell you more than you ever wanted to 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
This classic pun has been used by comedians since the 1930’s, since our English word “way” refers both to direction and to manner. It’s great comic fodder, as well as a vehicle for understanding how we are to live our lives as Jesus-followers. I have an unusual way of washing Read more
Today’s to-to list is enormous and overwhelming… like normal. This morning’s verse from a dear friend was this: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily as to the Lord, and not to men…” – Colossians 3:23 I can hear my children’s groans (along with the strains of a march-like tune Read more
My grapevines look very sad. And they are teaching me a thing or two, as usual, about God’s pruning. Thanks to the recovery time dictated by a complete knee replacement, they have mostly not yet been pruned. Care for grapevines (if what you are after is fruit) means reduction of Read more
Phil Wickham’s Hymn of Heaven contains the line, “stand beside the heroes of the faith.” Usually that makes me think of the list of notables in Hebrews 11, those who paved the way of faith for us by being utterly everyday humans who were granted unique opportunity to hold on Read more