Pulling Back the Curtains
May I pull back the curtains of our home and let you see in for just a moment? Today, my wife and I are reeling with the news of our sixth miscarriage. We hoped and prayed that God would grant us a fun and exciting pregnancy announcement, and the delight of a fourth child. But now those ideas have completely unraveled in tears and agony. . . .
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No “Yes and No”
…Yet we live in a world full of non-answers, “yes and no,” and “I’m not sure.” One very well-known politician recently said, “truth isn’t truth!” A seasoned lawyer once told me, “Justice happens by accident and the best liar usually wins.” Everything seems up for grabs lately….
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A Place of Refuge
…I silently slid into the back pew with Hudson and hoped today he would be calm during the worship service. I quietly whispered a prayer that he would not run off like a wild goose or blurt out, “Don’t touch me!”
But like so many Sundays, his composure quickly unraveled. As he flopped onto the floor and rolled over, my heart sank. Yet again, it would be a struggle for us…
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Freedom Called My Name
Years ago, in my mid-twenties (shortly before I met my amazing husband, Michael) I was incredibly entrenched in the swamp of legalism. I heard the wise-sounding lies everywhere… from many places. My life was led by fear and worry that I would never measure up to the expectations of people.
The slime of law-based, performance-oriented religion came from all sorts of directions. All kinds of well-meaning people told me what I must add to my life (and add on to the Bible) in order to become better and more pleasing to God. Looking back, I believe this environment was rooted in fear, pride, and nice people generally wanting to control the outcome of my life….
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Sweet Freedom
Freedom’s sweet flavor blows within the breeze. Yet one hardly notices its power until the distinctive taste is suddenly gone.
Despite our many malefactions, idiosyncrasies, and divisive political concerns, I’m still overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for the many freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America.
Independence isn’t cheap. Freedom is never free, as the well-worn song goes. Yet taking these gifts for granted is all-too-easy for us Americans.
When we taste sweetness every day, we’re eventually inoculated to its delight. . . . .
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Will You, Pretty Please?
This morning, as the sun rose over the lush green trees in our backyard, I hit stride in my typical routine: wake up, shower up, open the Word, and bring a series of requests to God. As usual, I found myself coming to the Lord with two oft-repeated agenda items:
“God will you forgive me for ____________?” (I’m still readily prone to many sinful faults and failures)
“God will you give me ______________?” (I’m continually in need of strength, direction, peace, healing, etc.) . . .
