The clouds puffed softly above the graceful arches of tree limbs – beech, oak and elm intertwining. Dark gold and…
Winter
Winter creeps nearer as I sit.Her frost has touched the leaves of every tree.And now the wind whispers,Meanders through fallen…
Clean Again
I have spent several hours this week deep cleaning. It’s so easy to allow these things to build up. Dishes,…
Today
Some days are heavy with the unexpected and emotional. Even straightforward tasks seem topsy turvy. Our hearts are broken by…
The Gift of Stewardship
Long before I ever saw their impossibly tiny fingers or their bright blinking eyes, God had already placed eternity in…
Everyone Messes Up
It shouldn’t surprise us (and yet we often are train wrecked!) when we mess up. The Lord himself reminds us…
Waves
I stood at the shore and watched the sun glint off the water. It transformed the ocean into a thousand…
Infinite
It is hard to adequately bend the human mind to the concept of an infinite God. Yet he does not…
Anger
Mr. Rogers poses an excellent question in his song “What do you do with the mad that you feel?” This…
Strengthen Your Hearts
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the…
Fear
Fear is a powerful motivator – it can stir us to great heroism and quick reaction in crisis. It can…
A Season
This is a season of peanut butter cheeks and sticky fingers rubbed on my clean pants and shirt. This is…
My Friend
There are many levels of friendship – mere acquaintances, people for whom we feel some affection, those we are tied…
The Real Battlefield
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,…
Heaven
We were both digging in the dirt of the garden bed when my little girl asked about heaven. I’m not…
Fireflies
I cannot remember ever seeing them before we moved here,Except in books,Though perhaps it’s that I just never noticed.But now…
Romans 16
The tone of this passage is strikingly personal and tender. Paul has just spent 15 chapters preaching his heart out.…
Encouragement for Parents
Parenting is tough work. It requires diligence, great love, and vast amounts of patience, among other things. And God understands…
All Our Hearts
There are some things in life we are inclined to do halfheartedly: Certain social events perhaps, a chore we have…
In the Soft Light of Dawn
In the soft light of dawn,He comes to meet me,Arms stretched forthHe wraps his love around my heart.I talk slowly…
Singing a Song to the Lord
She could have been overcome with the ambiguities of her future. She could have worried about her own inadequacies (what…
The Trouble with Seeing
It may be that my eyes are growing older. But these days, I like a good, bright lamp in order…
Lessons from a Nest
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! ~ Psalm 27:14 She chose an…
I Am Not Enough
There are some days when I am keenly aware of my own insufficiency. I am not enough – by any…
A Cup of Water
He was a gentle older man, quiet but tender hearted. When my dad had to pause the sermon, overcome with…
Walking the Path
We stepped into an unknown world, shrouded in mist. Our entire neighborhood was blanketed in sweet, sparkling silver. Pathways that…
The Beauty of the Body
I see her, arms outstretched, reaching out to hold the heartbroken, hugging them as they cry. I see her bending…
The Children That God Has Graciously Given Me
I’ve never met a child who schedules out her temper tantrums in advance. Neither do babies ask permission before waking…
Consider
We live in a fast-paced world, beset by busyness and distraction. We are often weighed down with responsibilities, anxieties, and…
Patience
The problem with praying for patience is that we are mostly given opportunities to practice being patient rather than a…
A Promise of Hope
They surprised me as I walked – Caught off guard. Here in this barren wintry clay, Empty yesterday, But now…
Blessings of a Friend
A good and Godly friend is a treasure – something to thank God for. I think of the deep and…
Dwelling Place
Life is transitory and change inevitable. That’s why, I think, we instinctively try to carve out permanence for ourselves –…
A Parent’s Love
I like to think of myself as a somewhat competent communicator. Communication, after all is my craft as a teacher,…
Joy
Joy is a child being given good news, the happiness erupting full bodied. Joy is a mother, holding her child…
Why I’m Thankful for God
November is generally a month when people try to be more intentionally thankful (a good habit to cultivate). Yet, the…
Casting our Anxieties on Him
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7 That little word “all” speaks so…
The End of the Story
Scripture is rich in stories of God’s people, yet they are not perfect people living perfect lives, untouched by tragedy…
The Sheep’s Responsibility
Last week, we looked at some promises from John 10 we can use to comfort our hearts. God is indeed…
Promises from the Shepherd
We all get discouraged and long for someone to comfort our hearts. We long for someone to love us deeply,…
Building My House
The wisest of women builds her house,but folly with her own hands tears it down. ~ Proverbs 14:1 What does…
Cleaning Out
There is a tipping point in life, where we can no longer keep our balance. We realize that things need…
Questions
Any day spent with children is a day filled with questions. Here is a smattering of what I have been…
Turn Your Eyes
I walked a path the other day with my children. It was littered with droppings and mud, puddles interspersed. Parts…
Thirst
All around me there is great thirst. It is still the crushing heat of summer and yet tree leaves are…
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