Who Wouldn’t Want a Free Book Right Now?
Every day is a "book day" in my house. Honestly there are books everywhere, including a box full that I'll deliver to our local used book store once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Beyond ‘It Is Finished’ Let Our Question Be ‘What Next?’
None of the disciples, save one, could have imagined this day. They knew the scriptures but could not connect the sacred words to this reality. Who would have expected their leader would fulfill prophecy in such a violent manner -- beaten and executed before a throng that days earlier hailed him as King. They had celebrated their triumphal...
Tips for Homeschooling in a Pandemic…and Beyond
First things first... My friend Brenda Yoder graciously invited me to join her in a conversation about motherhood on her podcast Life Beyond the Picket Fence. In the first half, I mention homeschooling. You can listen to that segment here. The second half is now available and our conversation gets a little more in depth as we discuss parenting...
A Birthday Request and a Gift for You
Birthdays sure have changed. As a little girl, I loved celebrating with my friends and taking treats to school to share with classmates (do kids still do that?). Then, for a very long season, I acted too cool to care and passed it off as just another year. These days, I'm not too proud to celebrate the fact I've made it another year and I'm...
4 Steps Toward Shining Light in Dark Places
Through the winter months, I've looked forward to sitting in the early morning dark with my coffee, Bible, a journal and a stack of books I'm reading. This dawn encounter with God has become important to me. I kind of like that it takes place by candlelight, before the day unfolds and presses in, so I linger as long as my calendar and the...
4 Ways Crafting Fuels Our Brain, Boosts Our Mood
It's February, the epicenter of the "holiday drought" between New Years Day and Easter (Valentine's Day doesn't count). Not much is happening in this season of gray skies, dirty snowbanks and muddy trails. For those of us in the northern Midwest, summer is but wishful whimsy and for many, running off to sunnier climates isn't an option....
Life: Family Heritage in a Teacup
I usually drink my black tea in a mug, and always Brit-style with cream and sugar. Today, as I reached for my favorite mug, I changed course and uncovered my clay Brown Betty teapot to brew a full pot of tea. I slid open the china cabinet handed down to me by my stepmom and selected a cup and saucer, cream pitcher and sugar bowl from her Wild...
The Greatest Accomplishment in Life
“The greatest accomplishment in life is to be what we are, which is God’s idea of what He wanted us to be when He brought us into being.” Thomas Keating, American Catholic monk I sat in a room full of strangers last Thursday, eight of us around a table, each taking a minute to speak our names and tell a little about ourselves. They know...
A New Direction :: Give Yourself the Grace to Begin Again
Near the end of 2019, I did what many of us do. I made an assessment of the past year and considered some goals for 2020. Notice that I said goals, not resolutions. I've set resolutions in the past and I've learned that giving myself the ultimatum contained in an actual resolution works AGAINST me more than it works FOR me. Goals are more...
What a White Baby in a Black Neighborhood Is Teaching Me About Prejudice
Vicksburg Street, Detroit. For a long time, I was afraid to drive through this neighborhood. When our son moved into an apartment in downtown Detroit a couple of years ago, we assumed it was temporary. Then he bought a house on Vicksburg Street, met a girl, got married and became a father. He's in Detroit to stay, at least for now. I'm still...