Even a Small One: Start a Little Garden
I love when a friend drags me by the hand and says, “Have you seen my seedlings?” With gardening friends, you know it’s that time of year to talk about the plan. Everyone enjoys a different plan; some of my friends grow serious amounts of lettuce and herbs (like basil that overtakes the yard and ends […]
April Good News: Moody Women’s Bible Studies are 40% off this Month
Hello! For the month of April, my Bible study (and the rest of the Moody Publishers women’s Bible studies) are 40% off over at moodypublishers.com! You can use this link for 40% off the Include in Christ Bible study: https://www.moodypublishers.com/included-in-christ/
Always Learning
I love asking people what they are learning about God. What is God teaching you? What have you been learning in the Bible, through prayer, or through others? Can you imagine the fellowship and joy of having these conversations daily? I think this is my favorite question in the world: What is God teaching you […]
Back to the Vernal Pond: Egg Mass Identification
I’m learning more and more and filled with wonder as I explore nature in Pennsylvania. Today, I return to the vernal pond in the woods that miraculously appears in the spring and calls to the spotted salamanders and wood frogs to return to lay their thousands and thousands of eggs. If you look closely, you’ll […]
The Joy of Church Potlucks
Maybe it’s because it’s been so long due to COVID, but tonight’s church potluck felt particularly joyful and delicious. I loved gathering with the very young and the very old. I loved all the food—the desserts especially. We gathered to hear a missions update, and so after the meal, we listened to a visiting missionary. […]
Close Up and Far Away
My husband always reminds me to “take the long view.” Everything eventually works out. I think about this when I’m particularly worried about the here and now. I see what’s in front of me, and I forget to take the long view. Things change. Things develop. I don’t need to rush my life or anyone […]
The Thing They Think You Wasted
I love the account of Mary breaking the pound of expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus. People try to shame her and exclaim, “Why this waste?” (Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4). I imagine the scene: Mary’s brother Lazarus is now alive; Jesus raised him to life. There’s a dinner in Jesus’ honor. Imagine it! […]
Too Harsh for You
We bring our potted plum indoors for a few days. With icy conditions and temperatures in the teens, we know the plum tree wouldn’t survive. Each time I pass the plum tree, I remember that sometimes we must temporarily remove ourselves from situations we cannot withstand. Not every environment suits us. Not every opportunity matches […]
Reentry
After four days of travel away from home, I attend to the task of reentry. I always feel better once I unpack my suitcase, start a load of laundry, eat a nice meal with my family, and start to catch up, little by little, on missed work. It takes a few days to feel rested […]
The Blessing at the Center
A dear friend sends me a quote about blessing from Johannes Pederson in Israel: Its life and Culture as quoted in Eugene Peterson’s A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. As I read the quote below, I remembered the Old Testament professor who said to our class, “Nothing matter more than the blessing of God. Everything […]