When I Stop Getting My Own Way
This morning I realize again how much I love to get my own way. I’m not just imagining this; I’ve been told for many years by people who want to help me grow into maturity in this area that I struggle with needing to have things my way. Others like me who voice their opinions […]
Led Not Driven. . . Again
Today I remember to live a life that’s led, not driven. Led Not Driven! Over the years, this phrase has reoriented me back to sanity and fellowship with God. Why all the rush and frenzy and scattered living? When I feel driven, something’s not right. I sit down and think about being led by God […]
Reading Outside
My youngest hands me one of her favorite books, When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead. She says, “Let’s read outside together, and you can ask me questions if you get confused.” She’s carrying her own book, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. How can I resist? We’ll go outside in lawn chairs and read together. […]
Every Time, the Little Box
Every time I order this one particular dessert (white chocolate croissant bread pudding from Chocolate Cafe, Ft. Collins, Colorado) when I’m out with my friends, I ask my husband if he would like me to save some for him. Every time, he says, “No need. I’m good.” For years, he’s said this. But every time, for […]
Feeling Left Out
Sometimes my daughters will talk to me about feeling left out. Sometimes these feelings reflect truth (someone actually excludes them), or sometimes these feelings are lies. Either way, my husband and I have been helping them through these common experiences in adolescence that, unfortunately, don’t go away in adulthood. All day, I’ve been reviewing some […]
“God’s refusals are always merciful. . . ” Elisabeth Elliot
I remember the day in July 1994 when I met Elisabeth Elliot at Camp Greystone. What I remember most about this wonderful woman was her unwavering trust that God would always supply what was needed. She spoke to the campers and staff about God’s provision–including her famous story of the ant that retrieved a contact lens for a […]
Restoration in Progress
We’re on a family hike, and we come upon a field with a fence and a little wooden sign. It says, “Restoration in Progress.” We know that means it’s been recently seeded and carefully tended to bring it back to how it is supposed to be. But it’s not itself quite yet. We’re therefore supposed […]
Provision
In Isaiah 65:24, I read this in the New Living Translation: “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” Just the day before, I learn about God’s provision and how the word provision means to “see ahead.” […]
Good Lines
Psalm 16 wins my heart as my most favorite psalm, and today I learn from Charles Spurgeon’s commentary that, when translated well, this psalm’s title is this: “The Psalm of the Precious Secret” or the “Golden Psalm.” I memorized this psalm as a struggling graduate student at the University of Michigan in 1998 because of […]
What We Most Want
Today I learn again that what we need most of all is completely satisfied in Jesus. Whatever it is that we most want, we find in God. If I could reiterate this to myself every day, it would transform my wandering, my striving, and my restless, anxious heart into a satisfied heart who has found […]