When Your Children Need Something Fun to Do
Guess how we are surviving the long afternoons and evenings indoors during this bitter cold winter?Salt dough. You remember salt dough, right? Just combine 1 cup flour with 1/2 cup salt, add a few tablespoons of water, and stir until you get a nice ball of dough. Knead it a few times and then distribute […]
The Place that Feels God’s Absence
This morning I read Psalm 81, and I learn all about how the Israelites were tested “at the waters of Meribah.” If you read in Exodus 17, you find a people dying of thirst. The Lord instructs Moses to strike a rock, and water gushes out for the people. He calls the place “Meribah” (which […]
Her Secret to Being a Great Mom
I’ve made a new friend at Parent Pick-up from school. Parent Pick-up is one of my favorite parts of the day because we all huddle there by the school and solve all the world’s problems in those ten minutes before our children come tearing out of the school like hungry wolves. I’ve been admiring this […]
Just Psalm 86:5
This morning I read this in Psalm 86:5: “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” It’s a verse I’ve read over and over again and underlined in my Bible, but today it strikes me anew. In my Hebrew dictionary, I read that the Lord […]
A Different Kind of Bright
Last night, we drive through an actual snow squall. Sudden, violent, zero-visibility, scary: you get the point. We arrive home safely to news of canceled church due to continuing snow and wind chills of -20. We stay in, snuggle up, and bake. I mention that it feels like we are living like the Ingalls family […]
Cleaning Day in Our House
I do love the routine of Saturday mornings and cleaning. It gets us ready for a quiet Sabbath and a fresh, new week. I also love that cleaning is a change of pace from thinking, grading, and writing. It’s a different kind of work. When the whole house is finally clean, we settle in to […]
Stomach Bug Advice
I woke up in the chilled night with the stomach bug. My first thought was that I was thankful for the timing. Last week I was traveling and next week I’m speaking. So I stretched out on the bathroom floor and was thankful, drenched with tears and sweat, for the timing. Then I did nothing. Nothing. […]
-20 Wind Chill
I’ve been reading all the about -20 degree wind chill warning for tomorrow morning. We’re warned about frostbite that takes a mere 30 minutes to damage exposed skin. We’re told to wear hats and layers and gloves because the wind will steal our body heat so quickly. This is no joke. This is dangerous.We must insulate! […]
A New Kind of Living with Flair, An Even Deeper Joy
As I continue to blog day after day, I’m discovering something so interesting in the harsh Pennsylvania winter. In years past, I focused so much on redeeming and elevating my circumstances. Everything about living with flair has been about finding beauty in common things, discovering mystery, and worshiping Jesus through the wonder of my environment. It […]
Advice for an Organized Mind
My friend tells me that she chooses one day of the week and spends 6 to 10 hours on all her least favorite, most annoying tasks. On that one day, she accomplishes everything she must do but does not want to do. Because she devotes this one day to these undesirable tasks, it frees her […]