Growing closer to the One who sustains it all
Growing up in the frigid Midwest, my declaration was consistent: one day I’ll move somewhere warmer. But the realities and complications of moving away from family kept me close. Cold weather seasons were all I knew. So after my husband and I settled into our first home with all three babies, he asked my thoughts …
Continue reading "Reflections in Genesis: Is God faithful in the waiting? "
“And God said…” (Genesis 1:3) Do you ever stop to consider why God spoke the world into motion when no one was there to listen? Do you ever wonder why he cared to voice audible words when a thought or motion could have been sufficient? I prompted these questions to my kids one summer afternoon …
“She’s just really different from me,” I shrugged to my husband as we drove home. Conversation had turned from our kid’s friends to their parents. One mom, in particular, I felt especially disconnected from. Wherever I saw her, grocery store or school event, her outfit, hair, and makeup were complete, accompanied by a beautiful, white …
I prayed, Lord. I prayed for your blessing over this, I prayed for your protection, I prayed for your help. But you didn’t provide. It seems like you folded your arms and walked away. Why? This seems so unreasonable, so unnecessary. This wasn’t too hard for you. Words aren’t coming easy. I suppose I want …
Continue reading "A prayer – or set of fractured prayers – after a prayer isn’t answered"
We sat on my porch, myself and a dear friend, with a tray of snacks between us as we caught up on life. She filled me in on her family, choking back tears as she explained the setbacks, struggles, and heartache of a family member’s medical diagnosis. Their world had been turned upside down overnight. …
Continue reading "What’s the point of prayer if God already knows everything?"
It goes something like this: we pray and pray and pray, asking God to change someone, to show them our perspective, to relieve us of our circumstances. But God doesn’t seem to budge. We continue to pray, wait, and pray some more when we realize it. God is looking to change us. Ann Wilson nailed …
Continue reading "When God wants to change you instead of your circumstances"
Tucked deep within a small midwestern town, there once laid the beginnings of a dreamy resort escape. Driving down a secluded road, you were transported from common life into a grand luxury. The monumental size of the campus captures your attention, a shocking existence hidden within a serene forest. Building after building after building stands …
I clean dishes every day. Laundry was scheduled for twice per week, but somehow it needs attention twice per day. My children, professional snackers, never cease to request another dietary provision. And the floor. Good gracious. The demons of crumbs, mulch, leaves, beads and crayons are perpetually alive, dropping traces of themselves across every square …
Continue reading "To the exhausted mama – Encouragement in the monotony of repetition"
Standing at a table in the lobby, I looked around at the swarm of women. A mix of ages, races, personalities and perspectives filled my view. It was one of the largest women’s conferences I had ever attended, and I savored the overwhelming beauty of recognizing every one of these faces had a story, a …
I sat in the parking lot of a shopping center and sobbed. Hot, angry tears fell down my cheek as I confessed, “I just don’t want to, God. I don’t want to forgive.” I imagined God angry with my lack of faith and blatant defiance towards his clear command. I wondered if I would hear …
Continue reading "Forgiveness with a gentle and generous God"
