A Great Prayer for You and Others
I love Psalm 141:3-4. It’s an odd prayer to pray when you’re dealing with all the things David dealt with. In fact, if you notice how this psalm begins, David says this: O Lord, I call to you: come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. Doesn’t it sound so urgent? […]
A Gift of Creating and Teaching
In Exodus 35, we learn something amazing about God. He clearly gives a special gift of creativity and teaching. How wonderful! We read about Bezalel and Oholiab this: Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him […]
It’s a Snow Day!
I love that our school district allowed for a real snow day today–even for the students who learn remotely. When we received the alert of closed schools because of the fresh layer of ice outside, life felt a little normal. It felt like it did in past years–before everyone learned on Zoom, before nobody stopped […]
Small, Easy Changes
I love thinking about how small interventions into your life can create major ripple effects of well-being. Try these: drink another glass of water; eat an apple; go to bed at the same time every night; record 5 things you’re thankful for; walk for 15 minutes around the block. In a classroom, you can also […]
Listen, Celebrate, Watch, and Remove a Burden
I’ve been thinking about the time Moses’ father-in-law comes to visit him in the desert. It’s such a beautiful account in Exodus 18. It actually offers great insight into how to interact with both adult children and younger people who might look to you for wisdom. Here’s what I noticed: In verse 8, we read […]
The Blessing of a Virtual Retreat
I wasn’t sure how it would feel this morning as I spoke from the corner of my bedroom for a virtual retreat on Seated, Guarded, and Sent. Yet so quickly I realized how fantastic this event was going to be! I loved the cozy feeling of speaking to the women as they sat in their […]
Murmuring
It’s hard to read Exodus and not think carefully about all the complaining. We see the worst in ourselves as the Israelites murmur and grumble and continue to complain when things don’t go well for them. In fact, I’ve heard others teach on this murmuring, critical spirit that can take over your whole life. In […]
Something I Wrote on Interpersonal Curiosity
Happy Thursday! I recently wrote for parents and youth pastors who wanted to know how to help teens grow in the art of interpersonal curiosity. Here is the article, and I hope you enjoy all the fun tips you can apply today as you also grow as a curious person. https://www.rootedministry.com/blog/teaching-teens-the-art-of-interpersonal-curiosity/
Not Everything
Today I enjoyed a lovely little flair moment while admiring my blooming orchid. What astonishing beauty! But then I leaned in to smell the bloom. Such disappointment! My variety of orchid does not smell very fragrant at all. But this is intended; I learn that some orchids attract pollinators in other ways: through mimicking pheromones, […]
The God Show
Early this morning, I received a great question from a reader: How can I keep writing and publishing from being the “me show?” For 8 long years, I struggled with the self-promotion and fame aspect of writing and publishing. I feared the sin of it all—that I was becoming like the people Jesus scolds in […]