On a Saturday morning I found myself with arms and mind overflowing as I hurried my girls into the car for a little road trip. Blankets and snacks and books and gift bags somehow made it into the car along with my people, and we were off. The first half of our drive was fairly peaceful, with the girls glued to tablets and books and me tuned into ...
Last year (or was it two years ago? Now that we've entered a new year, I can't keep my 20-teens straight.) my church read through the Bible chronologically. As we traveled through the desert with the Israelites and watched them make the same mistakes, over and over and over, I wondered if maybe we're all programmed to repeat history. I wondered if ...
Last year my husband turned 40. All of a sudden, I realized that my own fortieth birthday was barrelling toward me at lightning speed. Yes, I was just as melodramatic as that. Never before had my age bothered me much (except for a few months of "what have I accomplished" angst before my thirtieth birthday). But realizing that I'd be turning ...
This year has been a difficult one, even devastating for some. I know I’m not alone in looking forward to a fresh start as we flip over the calendar. But before we head into a new year, we still have a few days left in this one – and I’m determined to make the best of them. Rather than simply throwing up our hands or hanging our heads, let’s take ...
“Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commands, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today. When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, be careful that your heart ...
Lord, you have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God. You return mankind to the dust, saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.” For in your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the ...
Last weekend I went to my 20th high school reunion. It was an event that I'd built up to be A THING in my head, one I was both nervous about and looking forward to. It turned out to be less "A THING" and more a pleasant evening spent with a handful of people I have much affection for and haven't seen in several years. I grew up in a small town ...
I had just put my daughter to bed, filled up my big water glass (so healthy!), grabbed a handful of Dove dark chocolates (not so healthy...), and curled up on the couch. I had the remote handy while I clicked around online. Just a few minutes into my evening's wind-down routine, the lights flickered once, twice, and then poof! The house was ...
When I was a kid, our pastor had a message he shared during the children's story about once a year. He'd remind us that the building we were in -- the pews and the pulpit, the classrooms and the choir loft -- wasn't the church. He'd explain that the people made the church, and then he'd lead a parade around the sanctuary and point out various ...
Getting ready to get back on the highway after grabbing an iced tea at a rest stop, I glanced at my phone. I was on my way to my largest speaking engagement to date, and a text message from my father-in-law was unexpected. I stopped the car and read the also-unexpected news that my sister-in-law's heart had stopped that morning and she was on life ...
