It’s in the stretching, that change comes. And you know what’s a stretch? I’ll tell you, me being a runner! (Although it’s becoming less of a stretch every day.) When I got talked into signed up to run this half-marathon in October, I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t really know how hard. And […]
Selfishness is Sin, But Grace Gives Life :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 18 & 19}
I struggle with selfishness. I often think my way is the best way, and many times I just want what I want. I am sometimes less than happy for the success of others, because I wish it was mine. And when I’m hurt by someone, it’s tempting to wish they were hurting too. But this […]
For When You Wonder Why You Long To Connect
To connect is food for the soul. And I watch it happen before my eyes … this feeding of a soul. A father and daughter right before me. And what I see is undeniable. How she looks at him. And how he looks at her. How she holds her arms up. And how his strong arms lift […]
Because He Really Does Satisfy with Long Life
And what a privilege to return home in the late of summer to celebrate her 90th birthday. Her life has not been perfect; in fact it has been full of suffering… An alcoholic father, an interrupted education, marrying young, and having lots of babies… No running water, almost no money, baking from scratch, curing wild […]
When My There Becomes My Next Here {Living in the Present Moment}
I want to live in the here, really I do. Amidst the messes and piles of papers in the office, Among the toys strewn through every room, With the dishes piled in the sink because the dishwasher is clean and I haven’t unloaded it, And the laundry that piles up and calls me from much […]
The Thorns Beneath the Smile {Why Our Answers Should Simply Be Yes or No} :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 16 & 17}
I’m a liar. And you are too… Oh maybe not in obvious ways, but they’re lies just the same. You know… Like when a friend says you should get together sometime, and insists how much you mean to her, but the meeting never ever happens. Yeah, that. Or when you run into that person in […]
For When Your Heart Feels Like You Are Beyond Hope
There are times in life when every heart feels beyond hope. Beyond grace. Beyond joy. Beyond peace. But feelings are not the dictator of realities. The reality is … we are never beyond hope. Ever. Because in the moments where our hearts feel beyond hope, it’s in those very moments God causes light to shine. […]
Naming and Living Our Dreams {She Speaks 2012}
The dreams of our hearts hold the breath of our souls. And it’s these God-sized dreams that change lives. We all have dreams. And although some of us have named them, others haven’t yet noticed them. But that doesn’t mean they’re not there … waiting … wanting to give us hope for a purpose beyond […]
3 Steps For When Your Heart Faces the Pain, Brokenness, and Devastation of Divorce :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 15}
No matter what, divorce is painful. It hurts. And its consequences never really end. I know—because twelve years ago I got divorced. I know first-hand the pain and its consequences, especially when adultery is involved. And while I’ll share those details with you another time, suffice it to say, God hates divorce from the spouse […]
Because a Life of Holiness Demands My Soul, My Life, My All :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 14}
Two summers ago I taught a women’s bible study based on the book Every Woman’s Battle, by Shannon Ethridge. After one of the sessions, I received an email from a woman admitting that in her mind, she had been comparing her husband to other men. She acknowledged how this had created ruts of discontent, and even anger in her […]
