The Basics
Sometimes people ask me for help in their spiritual lives. They want wisdom for how to build their adult lives and what kind of practices they should adopt to help them stay strong in their faith. I tell them it’s not anything complicated or terribly insightful. Read the Bible. Pray. Memorize scripture so you can […]
Devotions for Children
Years ago (back in 2012!), I wrote a few devotions for campers and counselors at Camp Greystone. One of my devotions is featured today on how God see our tears. My teen daughter (even though she’s not a camper) signed up to receive the Greystone devotions each day because she loves reading them! I highly […]
Some Advice for Essays on Applications
Today I visited a high school class in Paraguay via Zoom to talk about writing personal essays for the college application. What a thrilling time to connect with brilliant students and offer my favorite prompts for their portfolios of personal essays. We enjoyed talking about these prompts based on what I hear people caring about […]
The Longing and Hungry Soul
In Psalm 107:9, I found this beautiful sentence about God: For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. I spent some time thinking about the difference between a longing soul and a hungry soul. A longing soul feels more profound to me–like a soul with deep, deep need that only […]
Forget Not
I love the first few verses of Psalm 103. If you’re having a bad day, remember all you’ve been given. We read this: Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from […]
In Your Favor
I woke up thinking about a quote I loved from The Great Gatsby. I read these words back in 9th grade and thought they were such a picture of loving someone. Here, we read a description of Jay Gatsby and the way he looked at the narrator: He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one […]
Fixed Ahead
Several times this week, I had to walk across a room without spilling from a too-full container. I learned the secret of keeping a steady hand: Never look at your hand or the object you want to keep steady. Look ahead of you and fix your gaze on your destination. Your body will automatically keep […]
Always Something New to Try
Today I met a new friend who loves music. She recommended her two favorite Spotify playlists (The Pulse of Americana and the new retro). I immediately went home to listen to the music she loves. Listening to this new music filled my heart with joy about how much there is to learn in the world. […]
Moving Right Along
Today, Ashley and I endured the shaming of an older woman driving in our neighborhood who tired to prove to us we were wrong to drive down the street without stopping at the intersection at the end of our street. She frowned and gestured wildly to let us know how wrong we were. Shame, shame, […]
Always Answers; Always There
Today I thought about Jacob’s description of God in Genesis 35 when he decided to build an altar. Jacob says that God is the one “who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” It’s profound to consider: God answers. He is with you and has […]