Simple Everyday Prayers that Change Everything
I find myself lingering over Psalm 141:3-4. What a beautiful psalm to pray back to the Lord! What I notice is David’s seemingly simple prayer request that actually changes everything about the day and our whole lives if we consider it deeply. He asks God for this: Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; […]
Two New Recipes to Try
This week, we’re trying these two new recipes. As the long winter days continue during the pandemic, it’s nice to look forward to new things–even if they involve jackfruit and cauliflower. First, a jackfruit curry. Yum! https://thymeandlove.com/easy-vegan-jackfruit-curry/ It’s adventurous, strange, and fun to try. Next, a cauliflower bake: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-salads-sides/creamy-cauliflower-side-dish-bake/. We do love cauliflower in our […]
It May Take Longer. And You’ll Need Support.
We still go on our neighborhood “loops”–the mile walk that we sometimes do 5 times a day. But with snow, ice, and bitter cold temperatures (feels like 5 degrees today), we remind ourselves of the motto, “There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing.” So we bundle up. And with the ice? We take it so […]
Even More Awe on Christmas
I learn something my sister heard from her pastor during their Christmas Eve service about the baby Jesus last night. Read this article called “Signs for the Shepherds” https://compass.org/signs-for-the-shepherds/ to be even more amazed about the Christmas story. Essentially, I learned why it was a sign that Jesus was in a manger wrapped in cloths. […]
The Gifts For You
This morning I woke up thinking about all the good gifts God gives. If your Christmas looks sparse this year, maybe this will encourage your heart. I tried to remember the times in scripture you hear about God’s gifts. Besides the obvious gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit to serve others, Paul’s tell […]
A Walking Song: A New Road or Secret Gate
I recently thought about the Tolkien’s “Walking Songs” that hobbits sing as they walk. In one Walking Song, we hear this: Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate I love the hope in this song. I love the sense of nearing adventure, of mystery, of newness. I love […]
Finding Others (Or Else We’re Plum Trees)
Guess what? My beautiful, glorious plumcot tree that I grew from a seed and planted in the spring will not produce fruit on its own. I need another plum tree of a different variety to cross-pollinate with my tree. In other words, my plum tree is what farmers call “self-unfruitful.” Self-unfruitful. Have you ever heard […]
You’ll Always Need More Cookies
Every December 21 or so, I think I’m just about finished making Christmas cookies. Then I remember this neighbor or that friend. I think about all the cookies I might deliver! Even though I’ve been making dozens and dozens since December 1st, I know I’ll always need more. One can never have enough Christmas cookies […]
Never Too Old to Play Like a Child
I’ve had a great day in the snow today:
The Gift of Surrender
This morning I remembered the simple but profound lyrics of Take My Life, and Let It Be written in 1874 by Frances Havergal. She wrote this hymn the year following her encounter with a tiny book called All for Jesus, by J.T. Rendford, which changed her life as she surrendered more fully to Jesus. These […]