A Word to Live Into
“Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts.” Col 3:15 Hopes. Dreams. Goals. Resolutions. Ideals. Plans. Projects. Habits. Change. Possibilities. Have you been hearing about it? Thinking about it? Do you already have a plan? A word? A goal? I am entering the new year gently - peacefully. I have been hosting out-of-town guests and enjoying our college-aged kids home from break. I have been trying to be in the moment. I have been taking it all in. It is not easy to live gently,
3 min read
Remember the Story and Learn from the Angels
“Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” G.K. Chesterton It’s the end of the year. Christmas is around the corner. There are things to do, things to figure out, things to face, things you would like not to face, and in the middle of it all, we find a story. Consider the one told by Matthew. His story seems to start a little slow with a list of names, but of course, a closer look reveals something wondrous - it’s a list of names! Each name on the list is a person
2 min read
A Word to Live Into
How are you expectant? I can remember a time when I was expectant. The memory of it is significant because it was unlike anything I had ever done or experienced before. I was traveling to India to meet the parents of the man I later married. I had never been there. I didn’t know the language and was not very well informed about the culture. As I prepared to go, I wondered what it would be like. I wondered if his family would like me. I wondered if I would fit in. You can be e
3 min read
God Came In Person
“Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment.” Psalm 104:1-2 This may be what the shepherds saw when they encountered Baby Jesus. Angels appeared to them and told them, “I have good news.” Imagine that. The angels said there is good news of great joy that on that very day when the angels appeared, a savior was born. (Lk 2:8-11) When they heard the good news, the shepherds
2 min read
Wondering, Knowing, Trusting: The Miracle of Water to Wine
“Faith in God is less apt to proceed from miracles than miracles from faith in God. ” Frederick Buechner I am at a new beginning point right now. The beginning of something brings both anticipation and uncertainty. Will what’s ahead be good? How will it all work out? I guess you may be wondering the same thing if you are in the middle of something. Andrew, John, Peter, Phillip, and Nathaniel may have been asking those same questions as they started to follow Jesus. He had inv
5 min read
A Word to Live Into
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, all that is within me, bless thy holy name, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits - who forgives…who heals…who redeems…who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live. Ps 103:1-5 This is one of my favorite psalms. It tells us to bless and not to forget. We are to remember. When does forgetting begin for you? It often happens sooner than I would like! I sometimes forget to look
4 min read
Leave the Light On
They left a night light in the bathroom of the rental where we stayed recently. I notice things like that and find such gestures very thoughtful. We need light. If you wake up in the dark in a strange place and try to find your way, you will bump into the truth, into reality. It may feel like a stubbed toe in the morning. Light brings clarity. It helps us see what is really there. Of course, you need to look. How often do we not see what’s right in front of us? “What do you w
3 min read
