Consecrating December: “Let Us Fall Into the Hands of the Lord, For His Mercy Is Great.”
All weekend, I consider the great mercy of God. We need His mercy. We appeal to His mercy most of all. He cannot change from His merciful character. I love how David cries out to allow himself to fall into the hands of God, not men, because God’s mercy is great (1 Chronicles 21:13). Mercy: […]
Ahead of the Snow
We leave early to drive back north to Pennsylvania. We learn the snow and ice will come this evening. We wish to get ahead of the storm. As we near home, the landscape changes. I see the beautiful deer dotting the edge of the forest. It’s hunting season now. I look out ahead down the […]
Card Games
The nephews teach me two new card games: Mafia and James Bond. We also play Spoons. When they ask me if I’ve ever played Spoons, I tell them that it’s a classic game of childhood—right up there with Spit, War, and Egyptian Ratscrew. I love gathering to play cards. So many things have changed since […]
As It Should Be
One of the Italian Mamas reminds me that everything “is as it should be” today. The phrase brings me back to God’s sovereign plan. It’s wonderful to rest in this.
What You Can Do
The other evening, I remembered a post from ten years ago called “The Not To Do List.” It served as a wonderful reminder that you can actually diminish your workload by thinking carefully about what not to do. You don’t have to do everything. In fact, certain tasks or activities, when prayerfully considered, might fall […]
A Gratitude Challenge
I woke up in the night thinking about the beautiful words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. This passage marks one of the very first times I delivered a devotional reflection on scripture. During one summer at Camp Greystone, I stood in the Dining Hall and told the campers these words: Be joyful always; pray continually; give […]
When You Share Your Story
This weekend at my church’s prayer meeting, several people shared with me their story of God’s work in their lives. I listened to stories of miraculous provision, miraculous peace, and miraculous deliverance from what tormented someone. I heard stories testifying how God had set the lonely in families and how He used one couple in […]
Snowy Joy
Never a Waste of Your Time
Sometimes I wake with the whole day stretching before me of grocery shopping, meal planning, chores, grading, errands, driving teens places, etc. etc. etc. And what about exercise, socializing, or all the other things you want to pack into the day? It’s so tempting to launch yourself into the fresh day like a rocket. That’s […]
Time and Energy
I love learning from leaders and creative people how they protect their time and energy. A leader once told me that the most important resource to protect is your time. And a mentor reminded me that as you age, your greatest resource to protect is your daily energy. One of my friends knows exactly how […]