A Strategy for Jealousy
Sometimes I joke with friends at church that I literally wrote a book on how to handle jealousy, and I still battle it. As I continue to speak on Seated with Christ, I find myself applying Ephesians 2:6 in fresh ways in each new season of life. I knew it would be this way; in […]
God is Alive
This morning, I loved the words of Hannah Whitall Smith: “We must believe that divine guidance is promised to us, and our faith must therefore confidently look for and expect it. Settle this point first: Divine guidance has been promised, and if you seek it, you are sure to receive it. Next you must remember […]
Two by Two
It’s a beautiful Saturday here in Pennsylvania. Last night, the last evidence of a gorgeous sunset greeted us as we left a contemplative and meaningful Good Friday service at church. We woke up to a day full of Easter baking for tomorrow’s Easter feast: yeast rolls, mac-n-cheese, orange cake, deviled eggs. (PS: I finally figured […]
Hope on Easter
Normally, right around this exact time, I post the traditional pictures of my blooming cherry blossoms against a vibrant blue sky. Today, just like always, the Weeping Cherry fully blooms. I love the hoping and then the realization. It always blooms. However, this time, there’s no blue sky. It’s cold and drizzly. I look out […]
May I?
This morning, I arrived to campus with my hands full. I carried a container of treats for my students, my lunch, and my purse. As I walked up the stairs to my classroom, a kind person simply asked, “May I get that door for you?” “Yes!” I said. “Thank you so much!” “Well, you have […]
He’s Always on Time
I think of that delightful quote from the poet Lemon Andersen: The Lord may not come when you call, but He’s always on time. Lemon Andersen God might not answer you today, but He will answer. He’s always on time. I think about this as I read Psalm 20 this morning. In Psalm 20, we […]
Two Predictably Fun Questions
Sometimes, I let students choose which attendance questions they’ll answer from my list of 100 questions. Today before class one class began, we couldn’t decide between these two: These questions always lead to fun conversations, laughter, and follow-up questions rooted in interpersonal curiosity. We learned one student used to live by Kanye West. We also […]
And It Worked!
Well—it’s a great day. My indoor potted gardenia experiment worked. It actually worked. I placed a tray of pebbles filled with water underneath the pot (apparently this keeps the gardenia in a humid environment; I don’t know why). Then I misted the plant twice a day. I put it in indirect sunlight. I watered it […]
You Aren’t Supposed to Be Everything
I looked up at the flight announcement to see that my 9:40 PM flight back home was now departing at 8:00 AM the next day. My travel fears had come upon me! Rather than responding with maturity, decisiveness, and gratitude—completely assured of God’s care for me—I sat in the airport and cried. Then I cried […]
Continuing the Theme of Difficulty
What difficult thing came to mind when you read yesterday’s post? What if we broke up our life into categories and thought about doing something challenging or uncomfortable in order to grow? For my writing life, I thought of attempting a screenplay. For my physical life, weight lifting. For my social life, gathering more friends […]