Thank you for being a God who is big enough to hold all of my insecurity, fear, and failure. Thank you for forgiving me time and again, for allowing me to grow—even if it’s hard—to be more like you. I am so thankful to be your child, and I trust you to be the one who is in control of my life. I lay down my anger and my pride in exchange for your grace and a humble heart. I surrender to you, Lord, and humbly ask to partake of your peace in love.
Tag: Humility
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,…
Jesus and His Mama: I laugh, I melt, I kneel
I don’t think too much about what kind of a son Jesus was to Mary. We hear a lot about how Jesus is the Father’s Son, how he came to be about his Father’s business, how he was sure of his identity as God-made-flesh. But I think it’s important to also remember that he was…
Why I Finally Unwrapped My Gifts
My husband and I decided to reorganize the garage. In so doing, we decided to finally unpack our wedding china. You see, we moved into this house a few years ago and unpacked the essentials. We’ve made do with our everyday dishes because they were convenient and functional. For special dinners, we’ve made do with…
Harper Lee
The author is gone, but what she contributed to the landscape of American culture will not soon be forgotten. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic, my favorite. Even the name of my blog is inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird. My family quotes the book and the movie on a regular basis….
The Puppets in My Purse
Sunday morning at church, my children had a difficult time leaving Oink and Ducky alone. Oink and Ducky are the puppets who sometimes live in my purse. Each week, a puppet or two makes an appearance in the kindergarten Sunday School. Oink has a British accent. Ducky talks really fast. I realized that if I…
The Eternal “Oughtness”
“I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘issues’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I think there’s very little that Dr. King spoke that is not quote-worthy. His words were powerful forces that spurred people to…
“Don We Now Our Gay Apparel, Falalalalalalalala!”
It’s that time of year when people wear ugly sweaters to parties and jingle bell earrings and fun hats and matching jammies on Christmas morning. Every day of the year, we think about what to wear, and at this time of year, what we wear can reflect the joy and fun of the holiday season….
What Hurricane Katrina Survivors Taught Me
Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States ten years ago this week. I wasn’t in the storm, but I remember the people. After Hurricane Katrina, my husband and I volunteered at an old military base where authorities bussed many displaced people from New Orleans. These displaced citizens, my neighbors, were in a…
When I Get an “F” in “Being a Good Christian”
At my children’s elementary school, several younger grades are transitioning to a grade system that is not based on numbers that relate to A+ all the way to F. Instead, each student is tested on specific skill sets and it is determined if s/he has mastered (M) the skill or is progressing (P) with the…
A Picture of What 