Did you know that two days ago, we stepped right from a pink-and-red, candy-coated Valentine's Day into a brand-new church season? We crossed off the calendar and began Lent, the 40-day season that leads us straight into Easter glory. During this somber season, many churches pack up their alleluias and save them for Easter Sunday as we remember the ...
I thought I was on the mend after lots of physical therapy. My back and the pain down my leg was finally getting better. And then it wasn’t. Suddenly it was way worse and the doctor said it was time for an MRI. I was not looking forward to this one bit. The loud, crazy noise that sounds like the machine is breaking. Squeezing into a big tube. ...
“Can you come over? I just need you here.” Words often spoken through tears, through pain, pleaded with desperation. Their meaning is crystal clear: I cannot be alone right now. Life is full of moments, both good and hard. Many are beautiful and rich in laughter and celebration, but there are also moments that steal words and silence our voices ...
My new friend pulled me aside and with a smile errupting on her face declared, “I’ve always wondered if blondes really do have more fun. Well, today they sure did." I was shocked by her comment. She'd enjoyed herself? I never would have guessed. That afternoon, I'd opened our home for a small women's gathering. While most of the guests ranged ...
At first, the story I’m going to tell you will sound like a sad story, a hard story. This story has been both of those things: sad and hard. But like most good stories, there have been surprises along the way, and that’s where the story gets good. Can I tell you more? If you read my blog or follow me on social media, you know that my family ...
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the ...
I sat in the hospital waiting room reading my small travel Bible. The psalms were an oasis to my weary soul. I remembered my sister’s shocking phone call, “Mom has breast cancer.” During the long wait for the surgeon, my mind kept going back to the one question I had been wrestling with since I got the news: “Can God really heal my mom’s ...
I sit across from a friend who knows me well. We’ve walked together for more than a decade. My eyes are tear-filled as I look at her and say, “I messed up.” I tell her of how I have failed in an area that has been an off-and-on battle in my life for years. We all have one, don’t we? I call it our “Signature Struggle.” It’s the choice or habit or ...
Valentine’s Day is next week, a holiday just as likely to cause disappointment as celebration. Watch your Facebook feed on February 14 and you’re sure to see a variety of responses. I’ve mulled this over -- because honestly, I’d like to offer up something that helps -- and I wonder if our expectations are a big part of the problem, whether married ...
I’ve never had a new beginning without a huge loss at the same time. My husband, Keith, had cancer the year we were engaged. My dad died eight hours after my son (the first grandkid) was born. My husband died one month before our daughter was born. For me, new beginnings are complicated. I’ll never forget waking up in the hospital on New ...
