Welcome September, With All Your Wind and Rain
I step onto the porch and breathe deeply of the morning mist. Gray mornings like this one, with their wind and rain, are a welcome relief from the intense sun and humidity of our Midwestern summer. I doubt I would be content in a climate that doesn't offer the changing seasons. A place where the sun is always shining, where leaves never...
Daughters of the Church and Walking on Water
I warned you... I'm studying to earn a Certificate of Ministry to Women at Moody Bible Institute and I knew it wouldn't be long before things I'm reading would seep into the posts I leave for you here. Daughters of the Church by Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld is a treasure trove of fascinating stories about women who have declared the...
Loved in Your Language :: Five Minute Friday
I'm linking up today with other bloggers to write for five quick minutes on the one word LOVED. To read other essays, drop by here. We've been talking about the Fruit of the Spirit in church lately. You know them. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control There they are in big blue letters so...
When Those Who Cannot Go, Give :: Trades of Hope
Her name was Sandra and we made an instant connection. She was the only Honduran woman I'd met who spoke beautiful English. And, she bore the name of my little sister. On my second trip to Honduras, I was asked to share a Bible study with the local women. A circle of chairs was set up in the grass outside the church in the mountain village of...
5 Benefits of Celebration
We don't have enough celebrations in our lives. Sure, we do the big ones -- holidays, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new jobs, new babies. But how often do we pause to celebrate the victories in our lives? The overcoming, persevering, repenting, renewing? I witnessed two such celebrations this week. A brave woman stood before a supportive...
Five Minute Friday :: His Way Is the High Way
"It's my way or the highway." You've heard that phrase before, right? And maybe you've said it -- not always with words, but certainly with attitude. I know I have. One of the blessings of growing older (and there are many, trust me) is that experience teaches us a few things, even causes a mellowing of certain views, convictions and...
Is Contentment Out of Reach, or Simply a Destination?
“It was the best time of my life.” Dad’s nostalgia on a recent Friday evening carried him back through the 35 years he spent with Boy Scouts of America. Making it all the way to one badge short of Eagle Scout (a story he’ll tell with little prompting) set him up to spend over 20 years as a Scout leader. His loyalty and dedication earned him a...
It’s All About Perspective :: Eyes That See
I just spent a week in San Diego. It's true, what they say -- San Diego has perfect weather and the scenery is breath-taking. In the middle of our vacation week, I learned that a dear man from our church fellowship had unexpectedly passed away. I had joined others in praying for his recovery from surgery earlier in the week. It wasn't meant to...
A Return to Rhythm, Roots and Ritual :: Five Minute Friday
May was a crazy month. We moved my Dad from one assisted living facility to another, celebrated Mother's Day at my house with extended family, and trips were made to Chicago and Tennessee. Whew! In the midst of that busyness, I lost the rhythm of daily time spent reading and digesting God's word and kneeling (figuratively) before Him in...
The Secret You :: Five Minute Friday
Can you keep a secret? I'm a bit of a loner. Most people might not suspect it, but I'd rather sit quietly in a corner with my nose in a book than work a room. Or spend a day puttering around the house, talking to the cat and doing mundane chores than heading out to the nearest mall for a girls' shopping trip. God wired me that way and if I...
