These are my actual jeans. Notice anything odd about them? (Hint: It’s the knees.) I acquired these pants at different times, and I’ve worn them in steady rotation over the last four years, but when I bought them, none of them had holes or weird dye jobs (a fashion plate, I’m not). I earned these …
The fruit of the Spirit is meant to be eaten
Fruit is meant to be eaten. If you leave an apple on a tree, it’ll overripen and fall useless to the ground. If you leave it on the counter, it’ll decompose and stink up the place. If you don’t use it, it’s ruined. But for that apple to be useful, it has to change state. …
Your forever valentine
Don’t you just love love? Whether it’s romance or friendship, there’s something about truly being known by and knowing another person that really does it for us. What’s interesting (read: amazing, beautiful, shocking-in-a-good-way) is that if we raise our eyes just a bit above our everyday experience, we can see the source of love itself. …
What rest looks like
I just got back from a week in sunny Florida, my first solo travel in 6 years. I showed up with a backpack and no plan aside from thawing out. As I kept telling people, I was just happy to be there. This trip was a much-needed time of rest for me, a fermata of …
Never not in His presence
Where do you encounter the presence of God? At church? In worship? In prayer? What about while you’re cooking? Or exercising? In line at the store? God is not separate from your daily life. He’s not hiding or absent or locked in a building you visit once a week. He’s WITH YOU. All the time. …
The treasure beneath your feet
Weird question: Where do you look when you’re on the beach? Where are your eyes? Do you look up or down? Around or right under your feet? I’m the second kind; I’m staring directly at the ground whenever I hit a beach, my eyes combing the sand for unusual or shiny things. Maybe I’m part …
The use of doubt
Having faith doesn’t mean you have no doubts. Having peace doesn’t mean you have no struggle. Having Jesus means your doubts and struggles are firmly underfoot, pinned and conquered, squirming in the captivity of their submission. “With me, faith means perpetual unbeliefKept quiet like the snake ’neath Michael’s footWho stands calm just because he feels …
Let Jesus set the pace
I walk a bit cockeyed. A weird-shaped hip socket and a couple surgeries will do that to you. I am also almost always in a hurry. Even before having a kid (which magically makes you late for everything), I rushed everywhere, trying to save time and be more efficient. I walk like I’m on a …
Correction is not rejection
No one likes being told they’re wrong. Especially not when it comes from the Almighty. It makes us feel small, unworthy, and hopeless. We want to crawl under a rock and never again burden the world with our presence. But that’s the exact opposite of His intention! It’s us going too far. That sorrow you …
Word of the Year 2020: OBEY
Yep. That’s my word for 2020. OBEY. Possibly the least uplifting word anyone’s ever had as their theme for the year. I mean, seriously. I’ve been doing this for years and had words like RISE and BRAVE and WONDER. Major transformational aspirations. So when this one came to me, I refused to accept it for …
Surprise!
How willing are you to be surprised? Me, not so much. Ask my husband how much I liked it when he surprised me with a promise ring in front of his family at our first Christmas together. But my resistance to surprises doesn’t just rob me of enjoying fun things (like presents) when they’re good, …
God builds castles, not condos
There are condos going up all over Hamilton right now. Which is great for Progress™ but I don’t know why you’d want to live in one. They’re expensive, tiny, and made out of the cheapest material by the lowest bidder. I know they’ll be someone’s house one day, but you know what else is a …