I traveled home a few weekends ago for the first time in a long time. And it’s always good to come home. And for me, it really IS home. It’s the same dirt lane, with the same field across the way where I stood and pitched countless balls to my dad in the twilight of […]
What I Learned {July 2013}
At the end of every month, Emily Freeman writes a post sharing what she’s learned. Some are small things, some are big. Some serious and some light-hearted. But it’s always fun to read what she’s discovering. And she’s hosting a link-up on her blog, where everyone can meet and share what they’ve learned too. So come […]
Giving Thanks :: Seeing 1000 Gifts and Beyond
He walks with them at sunset and my heart about melts away. I snap pictures and swell with love for them and I add it to my list of one thousand gifts–these blessings I’ve been counting awhile now, into the three thousands now. I remember reaching one thousand and how looking for His gifts had […]
When You Wonder if He Can Use YOU
I have a confession to make. I don’t drink coffee, but I am addicted to Starbucks. I know. It’s a problem. And I’m planning to deal with it, really I am. It’s just that the creamy spice of the Chai tea latte has won my heart … a venti-6-pump-3-splenda-no-water-no-foam-extra-hot Chai tea latte, to be exact. […]
When Our Heart Aches, He Meets Us Even There
I cry the ugly cry and can hardly type through the blur. My heart is aching and I know the ache is nothing compared with what some others may be facing. But my tears only know my ache, the reality of my situation, and there’s nothing more real than my very own heart. I’m alone, yet I know God is here. I’ve heard […]
How to Be Still and Trust, Even In the Pain
He is still and he trusts me and looks up at me like I’m the love of his life. And how can I resist that smile? With those steel-blue eyes and small gap between his teeth. And I’ve been falling for him since my eyes first met him that January morning over six full years ago. He’s calm […]
Only God Can Change Tragedy Into Beauty
Only God can change tragedy into beauty. And it is only because of Him we can give thanks in everything, and by doing so find joy. I first met her 2 years ago when she became my neighbor. I’m really not the bold and brazen type who randomly knocks on a door. And I’m certainly not a door-to-door evangelist, but […]
Why Feelings Are NOT the Dictators of Our Reality {There is Hope}
There are times in life that are stormy and dark, when every heart feels beyond hope. Times when we’re overwhelmed by circumstances that startle and catch us off guard–circumstances that are right here, right now–dark and directly overhead. No anticipation. No warning. And we’re blinded by their presence and sideswiped by their consequences. A lost job. A […]
How a Small Act of Being Kind Can Change Everything
Sometimes a random act of kindness can change everything. I have to admit, this morning was rough. I sluggishly woke to the energetic banter of all four of them, and we were already late, as usual. I told them to get ready to go, and they nodded and scattered. And I counted on them to […]
All Has Been Accomplished! The New Covenant Has Come :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 8}
As a junior in college I almost failed my Cell & Molecular Biology Lab. We were learning about histology and the assignment was to make slides of different types of tissue. But the problem was in order to make slides, the tissue had to be fresh. And you should have seen our faces when the […]