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, […]
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 […]
Avoiding the Busyness Trap: Reset and Replenish
At Bible study yesterday, a sweet sister said, “I need this time! I’d rather come to this than get a massage.” We laughed but concurred that the group time of discussion ministered to our spirits in ways that nothing else that week did. In our time of community we are prioritizing the need for discipleship, […]
3 Main Purposes of Bible Study
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” ~Acts 2:42 Obviously, we can glean numerous benefits from corporate Bible study time with other believers, but I want to focus on the 3 main purposes I think we join together. Some people come looking for networking opportunities, others just […]
Weekend Exhale
How in the world does one keep up with current events–avoiding the head-in-the-sand approach–and still keep from feeling weighed down by the monstrosities going on? Amidst the horrors of racism, terrorism, trafficking, euthanasia, and other godlessness, I sometimes sigh to the heavens, “Lord, you are Lord, but what a mess we people are making of […]
Dreams, prestige, and the hottest day of the summer
My children are restless, literally wrestling out their excess energy on the floor. They pop out to the backyard, only to burst back through the door after five minutes, faces red and tongues hanging out. So, what do you do when it’s too hot to play? Drink hot tea, of course. My daughter decided to […]
Help to Make those Decisions
A few weeks ago our Bible study group discussed the various theological positions of God’s will: finding it, knowing it and doing it. Although we didn’t all agree on the details of discerning God’s will, we did agree that our God is an involved God who cares about the heart and character of His children. […]
Weekend Exhale: Summer Book Reads
On occasion, I recommend books. Obviously, if you don’t share my love of mysteries, poetic prose, or philosophical novels, you may not appreciate these reads like I do, but I’m a rather eclectic reader, so I’d hope there would be something for everyone. On a side note, I never quite grasped the “beach read” concept. […]