I’ve been in the throws of intense grief, heartache, and uncertainty at least three times in my now 30 years. Losing my dad to cancer…unexpectedly. My husband losing his job…unexpectedly. Finding out I was pregnant and losing our baby, both…unexpectedly. During those types of times, do you know what is the absolute worst possible question someone can ask you? How are you … Read More
Red and Yellow, Black and White (Fri)day
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got more than a few difficult to shop for people on my Christmas gift list. These are people whom I really want to give something as a token of my affection for them. Yet, I’m always left in a quandary as to what to get them because they either have just about everything … Read More
And Lo{w}
A friend recently asked me what scripture verse was encouraging me the most lately. Without hesitating, I responded, “…And lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b, NKJV) I reasoned from my literary mind as to why this meant so much to me right now. I know this passage is what sums up the … Read More
But I…
I hardly know where to start. It’s not often that a writer is at a loss for words. Really, I’ve got many words, but just am not sure how to communicate what it is I need to write about because there is so much to tell and so much not to tell. This is going to be a five-part series. These words … Read More
But How? But God…
I hardly know where to start. It’s not often that a writer is at a loss for words. Really, I’ve got many words, but just am not sure how to communicate what it is I need to write about because there is so much to tell and so much not to tell. This is going to be a five-part series. These words … Read More
A Call to Prayer for the Persecuted Church
In recent weeks, American churches have received an inkling of what it means to really be persecuted for the sake of Christ. In Houston, a group of pastors were subpoenaed to submit their sermons in writing before they were preached so as to be sure they weren’t speaking counter-intuitively to the Mayor’s edicts. The constitutional right of Freedom of Speech … Read More
Come to Him for Them
You know all those beauty contestants who answer what they wish they could contribute to the world with a cliché, often ditzy sounding, “World Peace”? Their wish isn’t too far off from many of our hearts’ desires, these days, is it? It is impossible to turn on the news without hearing horrifying reports. It’s usually pretty bad, but right now, … Read More
How Big Are Your Mountains Really?
The other day, I was sitting with my husband on the welcome center porch at the University where he teaches. The sun was setting behind the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. And God was wooing me. He knows that my love languages are cows, rainbows, and sunsets. And there He was, whispering lovely truths into the ears of my heart. The … Read More
What Poor People Can Give
I’m not rich in terms of money. I have very little to give. Really, at this stage in life, I have none that I really can spare without sacrificing something that my husband and I really need. I’ve been even less well endowed than I am now. But all along the way, God has moved me to give sacrificially to … Read More
Entertaining Thoughts
I love to entertain. Even since I was a child, I get many of my kicks of day dreaming about the next soiree I can host. I remember sitting on my bed as a little girl, trying to figure out how many people I could fit in my room for a New Year’s Eve Party. There would be twinkle lights. … Read More