“Missing this, we miss everything.”
I find myself reading the old classic, We Would See Jesus. In the introduction, the authors make the claim that if you miss the concept of grace in coming to Jesus, you’ve missed everything. In fact, they argue that, “the moment we have to do something to make ourselves more acceptable to God, or the […]
Big or Little
We pass a sign on the road for automotive repair. It says, “No problem is too big or too little for us to handle.” It’s a funny sign that appeals to our insecurity in either direction: either our problems seem too big or too little for anyone’s attention. In God’s economy, remember that the sparrow […]
Flight
I love photographing the dragonflies that land on the clothesline by the lake. One in particular flies in and lands. Only later do I notice his torn wing. His flight, despite that injury, seems all the more beautiful.
For Them, Not You
A friend reminds me not to express love to people in the way I like to receive it. Go against your natural tendencies here. It must be how they want to be loved and not how I want to loved. We discuss how extroverted people (like me) often approach others with overwhelming enthusiasm, curiosity-driven questions, […]
My Favorite Back-to-School Bible Promise
When I was younger, I memorized a powerful Bible verse in Deuteronomy. Right before Moses sends Joshua into new territory beyond the Jordan, he summons the new leader and encourages him with this promise: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; […]
Beside Still Waters, He Restores My Soul
When I read Psalm 23, I love how God makes us lie down in green pastures. I think of myself as a small child who just needs a nap. So tired, and yet I won’t rest. So the parent makes it happen, amid the kicking tantrum of one who simply won’t be still. Oh, it’s […]
Day is Done, In Advance
This morning, I remember that the sun will set this evening. It did last night, and these photos prove it. This day will end, and I have no idea what will happen in the meantime. I cannot know, and there’s something thrilling and wonderful and so hopeful about this fact. The whole day stretches out […]
5 Great Promises from the First 5 Psalms
I love beginning a study of the Psalms every few months. In the margins of my green worn Bible, I have notes of what I thought about as I read the Psalms from all the way back in 1995. That’s 18 years of recording the faithful ways of God! I note the ways in which […]
The Shore Tells the Truth
I’m kayaking with my daughter, and we’re way behind the others. We just can’t catch up no matter how hard we paddle. She looks into the waves and remarks that we’re not getting anywhere. From that vantage point–and with the others ahead of us, gaining even more lake–it seems like a true statement. Lifting our […]
“It doesn’t have to be me.” (Another reason to love Tenth Avenue North)
A few weeks ago, I attend a Tenth Avenue North concert with my daughters. Just a few days before, I had been researching the dangers of narcissism in leaders. Christian leadership, in many ways, can breed a kind of excessive self-focus and self-promotion. When the lead singer of the band, Mike Donehey, speaks, he seems […]