I always loved God. As a girl, I went to Sunday School where felt boards were my favorite. Later in childhood, my family got wrapped up in an organization that claimed to be Christian—but they taught heresy about Jesus, saying he wasn’t God, just a necessary, good person—but one who did not deserve exaltation. They…
Alone
As Jesus awaited his arrest and crucifixion, he knew his coming death would break the hearts of his followers. Can you imagine walking on this earth beside Jesus, feeling comfort in his presence, courage in his power, and peace in his protection? What security in trusting your life to someone the wind and waves obeyed….
On Hope
Imagine sitting at the first game of the season for your favorite basketball team. You hope they will have a good run. They haven’t played together before—it’s a new coach, mostly new players, old gym. You don’t know anything about the opposing team. But you are hopeful for a win. What kind of hope is…
Broken and Torn
A turbulent storm shred a tree branch from the trunk of a large tree in my neighborhood one night. Looking up, a huge expanse of raw wood seemed to cry out, “I’m exposed. I’m broken. Can you see what’s happened here?” The rest of the tree stood unmoved, still and strong. The roots were solid….
The Fullness of Love
Lent is here, and I have been thinking not just about that principal moment when Jesus died on the cross—but also on the days of his life before that very tangible moment of sacrifice. Love is not simply a floating, fluffy idea. It is not an intense feeling. It is not even solely an intellectual…
The Mystery of Good Works
Sometimes Christianity feels like a lot of pressure. Sometimes it feels like we have to do a lot of good things in order for people to know who Jesus is. It seems like our behavior has severe consequences on whether or not God is glorified in the world. When I fall victim to this mentality,…
In the Valley
I took this picture of a Grand Canyon valley because it gives me hope. It is a steep and far descent to the lowest place. But there, at the very bottom, is a bit of green. Looking from the top, you can’t see the stream that runs there, but it does. When you feel like…
New Every Morning
Particularly after having kids, I was struck by how different one day could be from the next. As an infant-mama, I might have had a great day that included a shower and engaging with the world alongside a baby who is both napping and feeding on a predictable, doable schedule. These days would include sun…
Crowns, Kingdoms, and Us
Are you familiar at all with the story of Prince Philip, the Queen of England’s husband? Watching the first few episodes of The Crown on Netfix gave me pause. I have since looked up other biographies of Prince Philip. I’m not sure how accurately the show portrays his character, but there are facts of history…
A Model Substitute
I sometimes substitute teach at the elementary level. I showed up to a classroom one day, adorned with my official substitute badge on a lanyard around my neck, to find an observer standing outside, waiting for me to arrive. Well, she was waiting for the actual, real, certified teacher to arrive, but she got me…
A Celebratory Dinner
We had been sitting at the table waiting on our food for over an hour. “We” included me, my husband, all four of our children, and all of their grandparents. We had called ahead to make sure a table would be available for us when we arrived. We were coming to celebrate. A few hours…
A Picture of What 