And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ~…
Josiah’s Response
Josiah was only 8 years old when he became king. He seems ludicrously young for the weighty task of leading…
Songs in the Night
Last night at precisely 3:17 AM (according to the green glow of the stove clock), I was up with 2…
He is Patient with Us
It is human to become frustrated when parenting. We repeat ourselves (throughout the day but also over years). It seems…
My Great Uncle
In the dark, quiet hours of the morning, my great uncle, Terrel Taylor, went home. And as I have thought…
Unseen Footprints
I see a heron sometimes when I walk by the river. It is impossible to capture how majestically he stands,…
It’s Hard to Be a Good Listener
It is hard to be a good listener. It’s not just about working ears or not having too much background…
Lessons from My Children
As a parent I know it is my job to teach my children – about God, life, friendships. But, in…
In God Alone
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I…
A List of Thanksgivings
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no…
Sweet Gwen
Sweet Gwen, Today is your second birthday. We might have done something more adventurous or gone somewhere new a few…
My God is Constant
The grass grows green again and spring poises. My God is constant. Everywhere I gaze, I discover a new jewel.…
In the Light
I walked through the woods Your tiny hand clutched in mine And together we looked at the trees. I love…
Why Bother Coming?
Why bother coming to worship anyway? It’s the whisper that slips into our minds. It’s not that we don’t love…
Don’t Forget the Divine Factor
Don’t forget the divine factor. It was his gentle reminder to me that my perspective was askew, that my focus…
The First and the Last
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. ~ Revelation 22:13…
Take Up Your Cross
Jesus offers many good and wonderful promises. He gives us assurances to quiet our anxieties, to warm us with his…
His Inexpressible Gift
And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring…
I am Building an Invisible House
I am building an invisible house. The work I do is lost to the eyes of the world. I do…
Don’t Give Up
It seems as if everywhere I look, I see or hear those around me talking about their New Year’s Resolutions:…
Fitting Words
It’s happened to all of us. Perhaps we were well meaning, perhaps we were tired, perhaps we just didn’t think.…
A Deliberate Act of Hope
Planting bulbs is such a deliberate act of hope. Holding brown, dry, seemingly lifeless hunks of plants, you dig a…
God with us
In an age where we can have hundreds of facebook “friends,” where we can have work circles, church families, friends,…
A Desolate Place to Find Strength
When you’re at the tipping point… When there have been too many people, parties, scheduling, problem solving, shopping, doing, rushing.…
The First Lord’s Supper
“Nack? Nack?” Her little voice is clear and sweet as she watches the trays pass over her head. She wants…
The Gentle Whisper
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind…
Good Counsel
Where do you seek counsel? When you are struggling, when you have a difficulty or problem, when you need guidance…
Why Sympathy Cards are Meaningful
I have a box in my closet, black and white, with flowers laced through. It is a beautiful, unlabeled box.…
Happy Reformation Day
Happy reformation day! I am not particularly knowledgeable about Martin Luther, the Reformation, or church history. That was more my…
The Gift of the Tree
Here I sit again, Watching my tree, Wondering how even one day can bring such dramatic change. Wasn’t it yesterday…
We Have a Father
My dad once said, “By nature we were made creatures of God; by grace, we are made children of God.”…
I am Doing a Great Work… and Cannot Come Down.
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should…
He Touched Me
Isn’t touch a powerful thing? I think of the great love that can be shown through holding a hand or…
Rest
No matter how old you get, no matter how youthful you are, no matter what stage of life you’re in,…
Tell Me the Story
My son has a new favorite activity. He comes and curls up in my lap and says those beautiful words:…
The End Game
My favorite scene of Avengers: EndGame begins almost gruesomely. It seems like the end of the movie and perhaps the…
Clinging to Him Through Change
There is nothing quite so hard in this life as change. Even if the change is good, the act of…
If you find yourself far from God, who moved?
I think, at some level whether we admit it or not, we have an innate desire to feel the closeness…
Being Seen
Just the other day a friend and I were talking about what a gift it was to truly be seen.…
Offering Our Worship
Have you ever noticed that the Bible refers to worship not as some passive “experience” but rather something we give…
Holding to God’s Hand
Her chubby hand clutches mine, tightly. Her feet are awkward, faltering. She often stumbles, trips, falls, swings wildly. Sometimes, she…
Unto the Hills
I love to gaze at the mountains. The Bvumba Mountains in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, The towering Rockies throughout…
Psalm 23
Simple enough for children to memorize. Timeless enough to be read to mourners for centuries. Repeated enough so that even…
Dedicated to the one I love
They say little boys need their daddies. That is so very true. But did you know that little girls need…
Blessed Be Your Name
I’ve listened to and sung this song, countless times. I’d always thought it was a bit repetitive. (Of course, in…
Being Broken
The difficulty of being broken, of course, is that you don’t work. It doesn’t sit well with us. We who…
Give Thanks IN all circumstances
We find a subtle yet very important distinction here. We must give thanks. But Paul doesn’t tell us to give…
The Tree
I have watched them, almost daily, for not quite three months. Sitting in my rocker. Some days wrapped in a…
