The Gift of Surrender
This morning I remembered the simple but profound lyrics of Take My Life, and Let It Be written in 1874 by Frances Havergal. She wrote this hymn the year following her encounter with a tiny book called All for Jesus, by J.T. Rendford, which changed her life as she surrendered more fully to Jesus. These […]
Admitting You’re a Writer (or Something Else)
When I coach writers who feel blocked in their writing or who find they cannot make the time to complete a writing project, I find a similar struggle across personalities. It’s normally about identity. It’s about admitting that you see yourself as a legitimate writer. When I ask a writer, “Do you allow yourself to […]
Snowy Neighborhood
Snow Falling on Berries
The Big Storm Coming–17 Inches!
Today we receive many weather alerts to prepare for tomorrow. Our Pennsylvania town will enjoy at least 17 inches of snow. For my readers in the south, this means we pull out the snow boots and gloves, the shovels and the salt, and the mittens and the scarves. We’ll dress in thermal layers to shovel […]
Rungs on Ladders and Pearls on Strands
This morning I read a wonderful image in God is Enough from Hannah Whitall Smith. She says to imagine all the “homely services of our daily lives and the little sacrifices each day demands” as “rungs in the ladder by which we are mounting to our thrones.” Each little death to self is a rung […]
More Like Elizabeth
Do you know what I love about the story of Mary visiting Elizabeth in Luke 1:39 and onward? It’s Elizabeth’s attitude and good character. To set the scene, Mary knows she’s having the baby Jesus, so she travels to her relative’s home in a hurry. She was probably overwhelmed and in great need of support […]
Encouragement for Painful Holidays
I remember how, before I understood how I was seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, before I understood how “all seats provide equal viewing of the universe,” and before I realized God has perfect good works prepared in advance for me and my whole family, I lived in jealousy, comparison, and loneliness—especially around the […]
The Longest Sleep
A little girl–my sweet neighbor–stands in my front yard and asks me a question: “Do you know which animal sleeps the longest?” she asks. “A sloth?” I suddenly find myself caught up in the mystery of it. Her eyes sparkle as she’s about to reveal the answer. She’s so happy with the discovery of this […]
5 Unusual Rituals of Wellness
My university–like many others around the nation–will institute “Wellness Days” next semester instead of sending everyone home for Spring Break (which is canceled). My syllabus will include several of these “Wellness Days.” It’s such a fun phrase to consider. What would happen on your Wellness Day if someone gave you one? As you know, I […]