Today I had the rare privilege to meet another precious mom friend and together we indulged by swimming in an indoor pool with our kids. The kids laughed and played and wore themselves out and I got to share heart-to-heart connection with a soul sister. What an incredible treat it was–blessed us in mind, body, […]
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When Christmas Feels Like a War Zone
For all the fans of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and Jimmy Stewart . . . Just months after winning his 1941 Academy Award for best actor in “The Philadelphia Story,” Jimmy Stewart, one of the best-known actors of the day, left Hollywood and joined the US Army. He was the first big-name movie star to […]
When Worship Songs Become More about Me Than God
Back in the early nineties, traditional churches started transitioning from the hymnal to what we termed praise choruses: “As the Deer,” “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” “Jesus, Lover of my Soul,” “Awesome God,” “Lord, I lift Your Name on High,” and more pop into my mind. We added these songs gradually, because many Southern Baptists struggled with […]
Getting Your Kids to Think Deeper
The things my children say–and I in response to them–would never have crossed my imagination prior to having offspring of my own. You just can’t believe the quirky quips they toss….without even trying. At lunch time last week, my youngest–and most talkative–assessed the items on his plate. “What is this orange thing here?”My response: “Um, […]
Your Own Shoes
When I was a teenager, I loved wearing chunky heels. At five feet, ten inches, my footwear wasn’t even slightly sensible, but they made me feel both lovely and powerful, so I wore them. After three children and numerous spinal issues, my shoes are more down-to-earth–literally.
Leaving a Life of Shame
Lately, I’ve noticed several faith-based songs affirm this cultural trend to live a life without regrets. Personally, I think regret is a healthy thing. We don’t learn or grow if we have no regrets. Remorse leads us to repentance and renewal. Furthermore, Jesus calls us to examine and turn away from our life of sin. […]
What Lent Means to Me: Not Just One More Thing
Raised in Southern Baptist churches, I never practiced Lent growing up. Why, I’m not exactly sure; perhaps we thought it was too “Catholic”–whatever that means. In college and beyond, I attended Ash Wednesday services and demystified the liturgy and practice of the Lenten season. I found deep intimacy and awe in humbly remembering that I […]
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Watch Out for Hallmark
My daughter adores Hallmark Christmas movies, and has no trouble watching the same one over and over again. Of course, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. The plot goes something like this: girl meets boy, either girl or boy detests Christmas (the other loves it), and by the ringing of midnight on Christmas, […]
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More than a Mistake
When Aaron and I go on a trip and I have to help navigate where we are going–no, we don’t have smart phones–I get us turned around more than once. For some strange reason, this misstep frustrates me more than I can say. Aside from my fear of being lost, I feel like I’ve messed […]
Dear Young Married
Whether you’ve been married 2 months or 2 years, the “honeymoon phase” has ended and you’ve realized that the day-to-day life isn’t quite as romantic and adventurous as you had imagined. Bills and laundry have replaced hand-holding outings and eye-gazing over cups of cappuccinos. But just because the enchantment of dating has ended doesn’t mean […]