Modern Mary
We met for the first time in New York City, Mary and I. Our natural curls in common, we began by sharing hair care secrets. By the time our burgers arrived, we had moved on to deeper topics of life. Instantly, I knew I was sitting by a kindred spirit—one who had been through […]
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Baby in manger, birthed upon straw, shepherds surround, kings guided by star. Before he came, he knew full well . . . He was entering a world broken by human will—His loved people, entangled and helpless to break free of the curse. He came knowing, for us. And in his own words he said, “He […]
Do You Hear What I Hear?
No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t hear what I hear. Our son Nick was born completely deaf in his left ear. No hearing aid can help. No surgery can fix. At first, one might think his impairment is insignificant since his right ear hears normally. But try walking around with a finger in your ear even […]
Love and Joy, Come to You . . .
It’s nearly Christmas. In a whirlwind world, don’t we long for slowing—even stopping? Let’s do it! Let’s slow and stop and turn to the One who refreshes our souls with a good long drink of love and joy and peace. The fountain is always flowing, even when it’s freezing outside our homes or inside our […]
Period.
When loved ones leave fast at the hands of evil, there is still hope. Unspeakable grief. That’s what remains. I saw her face, the mother running to school, in bold black and white on the newspaper page. Her name, I don’t know—but my heart beats hard and is ripped open and bleeds anguished tears for her […]
Simple Girl, Simple Gospel
God’s Anna—He made her simple. Simply sweet. And her simplicity is her special gift to the world. But her life didn’t start so simply sweet. Left in a Russian orphanage at six months by a mama who could not care for her, she lived her first six years hardly held, barely clothed, fed just enough. […]
Following Yonder Moon
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 They followed a star […]
Let Freedom Ring
Ever been hit hard, torn down, in need of rebuilding? Eleven years ago, my husband and I and our three young children watched thousands murdered in real time as a hijacked jet crashed into the second tower. And we watched both buildings crumble to the ground. This was not a Hollywood movie. This was real life. […]
Mission Accomplished
Wonder what you have in common with the homeless? Our bus pulls curbside and stops. I see the red painted door on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Nestled between posh brownstone buildings in one of the world’s wealthiest neighborhoods is the Bowery Mission for Women. It’s a rescue mission—rescuing the homeless and helpless—for Christ’s sake. Warm hands […]