Bring a Little South up North
I just discovered that you can grow a potted gardenia in Pennsylvania! You bring the pot inside during the winter, but then you can bring it back out to bloom in the summer. I never thought I’d have gardenia in Pennsylvania, and it’s truly one of my favorite smells. I also love the contrast of […]
Digestible Spiritual Food
This morning, as I read Hannah Whitall Smith, her phrase “undigestible spiritual food” struck me deeply. As she discussed what’s going wrong in our lives and how we often feel out of sorts or under God’s wrath, she likened the real problem to having consumed undigestible spiritual food. Something we’ve consumed has harmed, increased toxicity, […]
Stop and Smell
The climbing roses smell particularly sweet this year. I stop and smell every morning and every afternoon. I pick some for the neighbors. When I hold the bouquet in my hand, I smell the beautiful roses and smile that I live in a world where little pink roses climb up a trellis.
Some Louder. Some Softer.
My husband gently reminded me today that it’s not good to dominate meetings. I know I have this tendency. I can talk too much. I boldly and loudly share all my ideas! I become so passionate! So today, I realize that living with flair means I sometimes must take a softer approach. Some of us […]
The Lavender Harvest
My daughter planted lavender in our garden this year, and today, I notice the fragrant, deep purple buds. Apparently, it’s time to now harvest them and make tiny bundles to dry the lavender in a cool, dark closet. In a few weeks, we’ll then decide how we want to use our lavender. I’m so excited […]
A Firm Place to Stand
I love how, in Psalm 40, we learn how God answers our cry and lifts us up to set our feet “on a rock” and give us a “firm place to stand.” The image of standing on a firm place helps ease my anxiety, especially over speaking engagements, teaching seminars, or anything I’m doing that […]
Going Back to Guarded
A new podcast episode on how God guards our lives airs today. I’m learning that many people love to read, but others love to listen. How wonderful that technology allows us to do both!
Tasty Little Morning Bowls
During the summer months, I hardly want a steaming bowl of oatmeal. Instead, it’s so delicious to layer frozen blueberries, a sliced banana, walnuts, almonds, flaxseed, chia seeds, and some pumpkin seeds in a big bowl. Enjoy! You could even add some almond milk to eat it like cereal. I love the sweet, cool, fresh […]
A Prayer and Blessing to Treasure: Psalm 20
I love the powerful blessing of Psalm 20 that I imagine David speaking out over his men in battle. I picture someone praying this over me, in my own daily battles, and find such encouragement and hope. It’s such a beautiful psalm. David writes: May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may […]
The Class that Begins When It Ends
I spend my morning responding to student emails from classes I taught semesters ago. With coffee cup in one hand, I’m skimming short stories, personal statements, novels, and memoirs of students who have taken up my offer to allow the writing to continue. After all, I tell them that a great class begins the day […]