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 […]
“Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” 2 The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. 3 “Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled […]
I know all about Construction Zones. As the wife of a road builder, I have been to and through all sorts of highway and bridge Construction Zones over the years. I know the difference between concrete and cement, and I can tell whether a road has been paved in concrete or bituminous asphalt. I’ve seen […]
In one gloriously productive day, my husband and I succeeded at clearing out one stall in our garage. It wasn’t the first time we had spent hours in pursuit of empty space, but we were thrilled to finally be able to park a car INSIDE the garage (it did help that we finally have a […]
Take time today to feel like a child again; then give some much needed grace to those around you who would be better served by “growing down” – instead of “up.” I close my eyes and I’m there, on the front lawn, at dusk. Giggling girls, tired of straining to defy gravity (some of us just […]
I started thinking about the effects of video games on the way kids think as I listened to my son interact with the Wii one recent afternoon. Having always been particularly strict about what he can and cannot play, we have firmly planted our feet in conservative soil and allowed only E and E10+ games […]
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 […]
Rain or shine, sleet or snow – he was always there. Sitting on a bucket-turned-upside-down as a stool, I would drive past him on my way to the post office in the small community where I live. He always made eye contact. He sometimes smiled. He usually waved or nodded cordially in my direction. Once he […]
I once heard Bob Goff say that most people are at least two jobs behind who they are becoming. If we’re honest, that statement describes where we are today – or at least, where we’ve been in some recent season of life. Some of us, so used to feeling frustrated and under-utilized, default to going […]