If I could earn my way to heaven– if I could work hard to be the best version of me, it would never be enough. I could try to be a loving person who sacrifices and denies myself for the greater good, and while I might feel self-righteous, my holiness would be like filthy rags.…
It’s true, I’ve never seen myself as someone creative. I have a craft closet full of supplies, but I always feel like an imposter. A mimic. I can copy an idea or re-create someone else’s DIY, but I have never really see myself as a true artist. Until I started writing. Blogging is my creative…
It was just a bowl of soup. And a day with my grandson. Coming home at the end of the day, my drive time became a time of reflection and wonder at how blessed I really am. Not in the world’s sense, maybe, but in this girl’s heart I had just had the most beautiful…
Despite the not-so-uncommon view that the hope of this world is found in politics or prosperity or possessions, one brush with eternity, and your perspective can change in a heartbeat. Hope has a name: His name is Jesus. When our youngest was in junior high, he started complaining about pain in the side of his…
Disclaimer: I am not a parenting expert. (Can anyone really claim that title?) My four children are now grown and I get to enjoy eleven grandbabies. I love my family–from the littlest to the oldest, and I am grateful for every single one of them, and to be clear, we are not a perfect family.…
The words jumped out at me from the page. “Do the next thing.” As simple as this phrase might seem, some days life can stop us in our tracks. Whether we are struggling physically–or emotionally hanging on by a thread, our minds can be overcome by a sense of futility. “I’ll never (be/do/accomplish that)… so…
I’ve been to Israel. Walking on the streets of the Old City and passing through the gates of Jerusalem definitely brought the Bible to life. Seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of this ancient land will take you on a journey back through time. While being in the place where Jesus walked changed my…
In my journey through every book of the Bible, I come to Galatians and see clearly that it is a book about freedom. Not political freedom, but something much more life-changing: Spiritual freedom. Paul writes this letter to first century Christians who were struggling with the idea of ‘faith alone’. These believers were trusting in…
We are finishing up 31 Days of Proverbs today! I can’t help but feel some trepidation over this chapter. So much has been written on Proverbs 31 and the “virtuous woman” that I struggle to begin. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that when I read this chapter I can feel inadequate. Go…
Compared to the wisdom of others, I could come out on the short end of the stick or I might look as grand as an oak. Proverbs has taught us that being “wise in our own eyes” is a sure sign that you are not wise at all, so if we see wisdom in its…
“I’ve got bad news and good news. Which one do you want to hear first?” In a joking way, by husband often uses this phrase to prepare me for some sort of kerfuffle. (Don’t you just love that word?!) When I received that call recently, my verbal response was: “Hmmmm…” (While thinking in my head,…
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 Yes, we are on day 23 of 31 Days of Proverbs, but because Chapter 23 seems to be speaking to me about discernment, I wanted this verse…
One of my favorite birthday gifts this year was a map. Remember the old maps that you could get at gas stations? The ones that took up the whole front seat when you opened them and pretty much the rest of your trip to get them folded back? Yeah, it’s not that kind of map–it’s…
It all began at the beginning. Not very profound, you say? Sometimes we have to see where something began to understand its significance. Let’s go back to Genesis: “In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn…
Proverbs 20 begins with this: “Wine is a mocker, beer is a brawler, and whoever staggers because of them is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1 While I could state my case for abstinence here, I digress and move on to a less controversial topic. Not out of fear or neglect, but because I don’t want to…
