Landscape Lessons
Oh, my yard! I love it when things thrive and live and hate it when things wither and die. It all sounds quite simple. However, in the past few years, I’ve found a correlation between beautiful landscapes and beautiful souls. Lovely landscapes don’t just happen. Preparing a beautiful landscape begins long before the flowers arrive. […]
Deserts
When I say desert, what comes to your mind? Perhaps the brilliant stars, the bursting colors, or the brisk, cool evening air that brings relief from the day’s heat. Such thoughts refer to physical deserts, but I’m thinking of the periods in our lives that leave us feeling desperate, disillusioned, and dry. Desert seasons lack […]
Junior
This was a doctor’s office first. The room was superbly sterilized, and I was nervously flipping the pages of a magazine when I saw something move across the floor. Tiny as it was, its color caught my attention. Wrapped in its itsy-bitsy armor, colored red with black dots, a ladybug was crawling across the floor. […]
Be Still My Soul
We all have little habits that help us along in life, and writers are no different. Some need silence; others compose in chaos. When I write, quiet music calms my soul, soothes my busy mind, and sweeps away the troubles of the day. However, the other day it felt like no words would come. I […]
Dealing with Doubt Today
I think Thomas the apostle gets a bad rap. Nicknamed “Doubting Thomas,” he is often negatively characterized and judged in many Christian circles. Who would want to be looked down upon as a doubter? Have any of us lived without wrestling with doubt? When our faith grows deep, doubt is often a part of the […]
Star Charts
Charts are everywhere. We have navigational charts, weather charts, score charts, charts for accomplishing tasks, and charts for measuring progress. When my kids were little, I would make “chore” charts. When the chore was accomplished, a shiny star sticker was put on the chart . . . and they’d receive two stars if their attitudes […]
The Blame Game
My dad has this very funny statement: “The Lord gets blamed for a lot of stuff that has nothing to do with Him.” Being in ministry for so many years, he’s seen the Lord get blamed for a lot. We blame Him for our problems, irritations, time constraints, job losses, house and car repairs, money […]
He Is God, and I Am Not
Her story was a tough one. She needed help! She had lost her husband years back. She had three children—one with special needs, one “typical,” and one who went to heaven shortly after birth. She was aging, endured chronic pain, and had just been diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer. She was facing radical surgery, rounds […]
Sanctuaries
It was a misty morning in a small, out-of-the-way English countryside village. Hanging flower baskets, timeworn cafes, and antiquated shops lined the cobblestone streets. The town was packed with old bookstores in which dusty, leather-bound or linen-wrapped books were piled from floor to ceiling. Some of the books’ bindings had been repaired with old tape. […]
Homework
Homework . . . need I say more? It had been one of those days, and endeavoring to help my son Jon with his homework was not on the top of my “want-to-do” list. He was tired. I was more than cranky. The combination was not going to provide a successful outcome . . . […]
Despite Your Circumstances
Few people in the first century had a deeper understanding of God’s grace than the apostle Paul. Redeemed from a life of vicious brutality as a rigid legalistic Pharisee, the man turned the corner, repented, and through Christ’s empowering became a gentle soul, gracious and affirming. Understanding. Forgiving. Approachable. He reached the place where he […]
The Question
Some questions are priceless. The other day, someone asked me when am I most proud of Jon, my son with disabilities. I quietly pondered. In this world of ours, most parents could quickly provide plenty of pride-filled moments: blue ribbons, being the star athlete, social recognition, good grades, good looks, or a bit of charm. […]