Have you recently put together a creative charcuterie board? Traveled to an unusual vacation spot? Have you donned a casual hat, denim overalls, some new hipster eyeglasses, or matching family pajamas? Start a new health or beauty routine? If so, it may be due to the influencer who shows up in your social media feeds… Read More Who’s Influencing You? Five Reasons to Read a Missionary Biography This Year
We sat on her living room floor drinking tea, playing with her two toddlers, and catching up on life. Kim, a new wife and mom, had been a college student in our church ten years prior to this reunion at her new home in a different part of the state. She had become a Christian… Read More Take Them To Church
One month went by, and then two and three. Now it’s been six months since I wrote anything here. In over ten years, I’ve never let anywhere near that much time go by here on this little blog. I think it’s because when so much time passes, you just don’t know where to start. It’s… Read More Six Months Later in September
Confession: I admire Martha. Yes, the same Martha who was “distracted with much serving.” (Luke 10:40) The one Jesus gently rebuked for being troubled about unnecessary things. The woman who, in her bitterness, missed out on “the good portion” of sitting at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:42) You know the one – Mary’s uptight… Read More Why I Admire Martha
I knew they were there, but being away from home and church and relationships and responsibilities have brought them more sharply into focus. Busyness distracts us from a lot of glaring things, I’ve found. Constant activity means I don’t spend as much time asking God to search me, know me, and bring them to light.… Read More Fragmented Fullness
Hello from North Carolina! We’ve been here three weeks now, and while we have definitely had periods of rest and quiet in that time, there has also been plenty to keep us busy. It’s really the perfect mixture so far. I posted the above pictures taken last Sunday after church, because they sort of reflects… Read More Sabbatical So Far
Just after I turned 40, I memorized parts of Psalm 71 as part of a Scripture Memory Challenge hosted by Beth Moore. I chose these particular verses, because they so specifically outline who God has been and what He has done in my life. Though they feel like they were written just for me, I… Read More Birthdays, Brides, and NC Bound
Somehow, as a family of five (with a steady stream of houseguests), we’ve managed to live in a house with only one bathroom for over sixteen years. In 2018 we decided to change that. It wasn’t really a resolution for the new year, but it was a goal of ours to transform a dingy basement… Read More True New Year Renewal
I just dropped four family members at Boston’s Logan airport after five full days together. It was such a gift, and I’m trying to treasure and ponder it all in my heart, since as an elder at my church said on Christmas Eve, “These times are few and far between.” He also had the gift… Read More Home For Christmas
85 year old country music legend (and fellow Texan) had this to say regarding the life of the mind: “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” ~ Willie Nelson While Willie may rely on some herbal help with a happy mind, his ideas about the thought life are not… Read More Advent Joy: Thinking On His Flesh (And Not Mine)