I’ve been reading through I & II Kings lately and am astonished at how many pagan practices God’s people adopted. Depending on the king and whether he submitted to the law of the Lord or not, the people often threw their children into Molech’s fiery mouth or set up idol worship in their own homes. […]
Spiritual
You Belonged to Me Before You Belonged to Anyone Else
We all belong to someone: even if your life is so broken, you can only claim the foster system or the government, you are associated with another entity besides yourself. Sadly, we identity ourselves by tag lines that don’t give us a complete or accurate picture of who we truly are:_______’s spouse, ___________’s daughter, __________’s […]
Rethinking Mondays and House Size
Recently, my family made the trek to Oklahoma to visit my husband’s extended family. Four generations of Hanley men in one house was a precious and rare privilege. Ralph Hanley, my husband’s grandpa, raised up a heritage of men and women who then raised up a generation of men and women who love and serve […]
I Don’t Want to be in This Place Anymore…Or Do I?
The two words God keeps putting before me are “surrender” and “process”. Of course, I feel uncomfortable with both. I am a take-charge, make-it-happen kind of girl and those words require patience, humility, and the forbearance to accept yourself when you don’t get it all right–or even part right. My husband and I are currently […]
3 Reasons We Resist Surrender
Even though I’ve been a believer for 30 years, I still have a rather dense skull when it comes to hearing God’s voice. Sadly, God has to beat me over the head with a message several times before I’m enlightened. “Oh, I see, Lord.” The last week, I started reading a Jennie Allen book called […]
Paralyzed by Indecision
“Too many options can flood someone, yet their inability to choose may be directly tied to their fear of making a mistake. This is exponentially increased if they have had a history of being corrected when they were making a choice—or always being told what to do and what to want. Both extremes create self-doubt and the […]
Reconciling the Various Stages of Who We Are and Who We Become
Because the kids spent the night with grandparents into Labor Day, I had the rare opportunity to wake up to an empty house Monday and then spend the whole day alone. I can’t recall when that happened–not one person for 8 whole hours. The house was so quiet, I heard noises I’m not usually able […]
Reminders from the Community Theatre
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go see a play with my friend Kaylene. Another friend, Julie, was playing Clairee in the theatre production of Steel Magnolias. In case you haven’t seen the film, starring Julia Roberts, Sally Field, and many others, this story circulates around the community of six women, bonded by […]
Well, I Thought It Was a Good Idea
[The above picture is of my daughter’s face covered in butt cream. She figured it helped her little brother’s bottom, it must be nice for the face too, right?] Ever since my daughter was two and we caught her making Rice Crispy Treats early one Saturday morning (the butter in the microwave for 17 minutes), […]
Sitting on Your Own Bum
“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.” ― Michel de Montaigne Timothy Keller posted this on FB: “Real humility is shy.” I’ve been pondering that concept in relationship to the scared echo of pride awareness in my own life. Sadly, that deepest, darkest sin oozes through every other sin. […]