What a Child Needs to Hear from You
I’m visiting with my dear friend, the one who told me that the sign of a happy childhood is dirty children. This is my same friend who raises five children without a television set or computer games. I’m always eager for what new parenting advice she’ll impart. Today, I watch and listen. Over and over […]
Released from the Snare
All day, I’ve been thinking about a verse from Psalm 25:15. “My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” A snare means a trap. It’s a deceptively enticing situation or mindset that captures us. These past few days, I’ve repeated this verse over and over again. […]
Loving by Faith
This morning, I remember the simplest of truths: I love others by faith. There’s a supernatural, unconditional, pure and deep love that God wants to produce in me for others (and myself). But I cannot conjure it from my own flesh. I cannot think or feel my way into loving folks that, for whatever reason, […]
Secret Agent Life
This morning, I read about how a businessman responds to a doctor’s order to go to a train station and “look for someone who needs help.” The doctor believed that if the businessman practiced doing something for another person every day, that man would begin to feel better about his life. He did. It worked. […]
A Little Love Story
This morning, the little one plows into our bed and announces that she is about to lose her first loose tooth. The world stops for a minute. A first lost tooth! In our family, we let Dad do the tooth pulling. There’s even a title assigned to this role. He pinches his thumb and forefinger […]
Our Uncommon Uses
While cleaning my home today, I notice two of my favorite objects: a flowerpot and a serving dish. We received them as wedding gifts over ten years ago, and they were both too beautiful not to use. But I don’t grow flowers inside in pots, and I rarely transfer our dinner onto serving platters (and this […]
Stencil Me In
Snowman Pancake This morning, we invite some neighbors to join us for our Saturday Morning Pancakes. My artistic neighbor sees the pancakes and immediately makes a homemade stencil so we can decorate them. We relax, drink coffee, and decorate snowman pancakes in the chaos of powdered sugar and syrup. So there we are, eating our […]
A Double Serving of Peace
I’m racing about, scrubbing floors and making beds, and my cell phone rings and rings. Who has time to chat at a time like this? Besides, it’s storming outside and my beautifully raked lawn is now a tangle of leaves and branches. Everything was supposed to be perfect as my family arrives for Thanksgiving. Nothing […]