It’s good to get away by yourself now and then, if only to remember why you chose the life you live. From my chair under the pines I had a bird’s-eye view of Willow Creek as it gently flowed over smooth rocks into a tiny pond beyond an outcropping of granite. A bench sat empty […]
Last week I sat across a (very short) table in the church nursery from a mother and her son. As the staff member who is tasked with preparing families for baptism, this meeting was unique by virtue of the child’s age: Justus is eleven. Of course, for many of you, this is not unexpected; but […]
Today I am reminded afresh of my sweet friend, Clareen. I hope this post will inspire you to remember those who have been part of your great cloud of witnesses through the years! I shared these thoughts at Clareen’s memorial service. I miss her. A lot. Artist. Prophet. Cracked Pot. Yoda. Many people in our […]
It’s PINK Tuesday! Last week we explored, from a Christian perspective, ways in which our faith and resources might be given as gifts to those in need. We established the importance of BOUNDARIES, we discussed the temptation to buy into GUILT, we learned that it is our RESPONSIBILITY to know how God has shaped us to […]
How far are you willing to go with God? Where do you draw the line when it comes to doing things His way? At what point do you dig your heels in and refuse to take one more step down the path of His choosing? Before you answer, I think you’ll want to hear this […]
In my world, this is Faith Statement season. This means that, tomorrow evening, about 30 of us will gather to share with one another what we believe about God – and how that translates into real life, day in and day out. Believers of all ages do this every year in my faith family, in […]
I grew up in Arizona. My children have grown up in Arizona. With this in mind, you’ll understand that when I hear the word broken, I think piñata. I would argue that until you’ve had your arms elbow-deep in papier mache, you haven’t really experienced creation (or at least the act of creating). I still […]
I had a doorstep conversation this morning with a repeat visitor from a local church. She remembered my name, and she remembered that my work includes Christian education. She didn’t come empty handed today – she came bearing a gift in the form of a book dedicated to refuting the claims of evolution. She told […]
Walking through a favorite store last week, this sign caught my eye. Sharing my name with a line of filter products hasn’t really affected me much, but there are times – as on this particular day – when my life parallels the life of my inanimate siblings on the shelf. Temporary Price Cut. 15% Off. […]
It’s the first night of camp and the natives are restless. Wisdom dictates that before they get too wound up, we cover the basic do’s and don’t’s of co-ed, middle school, church camp. DO drink at least four bottles of water every day. DON’T go onto the neighboring golf course. DO mix it up and try […]