March to the Cross
Tomorrow is the first of March and Easter is at the end—the last day. As we march toward the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Resurrection Sunday, I am reflecting on the order. First comes the cross, then the empty tomb where corpse filled with life and broke free. First comes the […]
Counting Costs
We sat at lunch yesterday and this young twenties, beautiful soul looks straight at me and says . . . How come we always hear how salvation is free but we don’t hear much about what comes after—the cost of following Christ? Over pizza we discuss theology and cover a lot of biblical terrain on the […]
A Cardinal Concept
cardinal adj. 1. Of foremost importance; paramount. n.1. A North American finch having a crested head, a short thick bill, and bright red plumage in the male. (The American Heritage Dictionary) Feed them and they will come. On a blustery winter day after fresh snow had fallen, I filled the feeders with black sunflower seed—the […]
Forest of Life
Morning brought perfection for cross-country ski aficionados like us. Sunny sky in periwinkle blue, not even a breeze, comfortable winter temperature, thick snow bending branches low. The whole seven mile loop yesterday and another today was a winter wonderland of God-made beauty. Life and how we live it made me stop often to capture […]
Seal of Approval
I remember thinking that if Good Housekeepingendorses a product, it must be good. Their seal of approval carried a lot of weight in my mind. Last night, a circle of young twenties women gathered in our living room for Bible study. We’re going through Jennie Allen’s Stuck, taking a serious look at what keeps us […]
Dying to Live
When I was a child, I searched the TV Guide this time of year in eager anticipation of the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz. The movie captivates me today the same as it did decades ago. Some scenes left an indelible mark on my memory. Like the one where the wicked witch flies […]
Uncuff Him!
What a way to start the day! I walk up the stairs to the loft, coffee mug in hand, and see Nick already seated at the table with the Vos Bible in front of him. This is how we begin. But today, something’s a bit different. He’s sitting there still, in a camouflage print shirt. […]
Perfectly Weak
Weakness. I’m thinking of my son’s. I’m thinking of my own. Here we are, two broken souls, trying to learn and grow. We started schooling at home last year. Since we adopted Nick at nineteen months, he has received speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. He is hearing impaired, completely deaf in his left […]
Running on Empty
Heading east on Interstate 23, I look down at my gas gauge. My heart pounds. The yellow needle is on empty and I don’t know how long I have been driving like this. I pray. God, please help me get to a filling station before I run out of gas! Hands clenching wheel and back […]
With Love, God
I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness . . . Jeremiah 31:1 His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His love endures forever . . . His […]
Love Stretches
She is darling! A former ballerina dancing in the Nutcracker and all grown up now, venturing out and into adult life. First love, real love captured her heart last year and the daisy-picking “He loves me. He loves me not” finally ended with “He loves me not” a couple weeks ago. But tomorrow is Valentine’s […]
Love is Tough
Dickens’ Oliver Twist became a movie when I was a girl. I was moved to tears as young Oliver, recently orphaned, sang Where is Love? To be orphaned at all, let alone in such bleak times as the novel’s setting, was beyond sad to me. Yet, I could relate. Growing up in an often tumultuous home, I […]