The Gifts For You
This morning I woke up thinking about all the good gifts God gives. If your Christmas looks sparse this year, maybe this will encourage your heart. I tried to remember the times in scripture you hear about God’s gifts. Besides the obvious gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit to serve others, Paul’s tell […]
A Walking Song: A New Road or Secret Gate
I recently thought about the Tolkien’s “Walking Songs” that hobbits sing as they walk. In one Walking Song, we hear this: Still round the corner there may wait A new road or a secret gate I love the hope in this song. I love the sense of nearing adventure, of mystery, of newness. I love […]
Finding Others (Or Else We’re Plum Trees)
Guess what? My beautiful, glorious plumcot tree that I grew from a seed and planted in the spring will not produce fruit on its own. I need another plum tree of a different variety to cross-pollinate with my tree. In other words, my plum tree is what farmers call “self-unfruitful.” Self-unfruitful. Have you ever heard […]
You’ll Always Need More Cookies
Every December 21 or so, I think I’m just about finished making Christmas cookies. Then I remember this neighbor or that friend. I think about all the cookies I might deliver! Even though I’ve been making dozens and dozens since December 1st, I know I’ll always need more. One can never have enough Christmas cookies […]
Never Too Old to Play Like a Child
I’ve had a great day in the snow today:
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 […]