Building Christian Character
A Lenten Call to Shine
This week was the official beginning of Lent for those who observe it. Lent is not Biblical, but has been observed in some form, in various churches, for over a thousand years. It’s meant to be a time of self-denial, but perhaps more importantly, a time of self-reflection. As I type this, we have been in … Continue reading
Seeking Shalom
Every year around New Year’s, I pray about a new word to focus on in the coming year. This year the words peace and prayer kept coming up again and again. I figured the Holy Spirit was trying to teach me something, so I went with it. I wrote them on post its on my … Continue reading
The Call to Seek Like Mary
I’ve been participating in an online Bible study. We have been reading one chapter a day in the Gospel of John. One day last week, we got to chapter twenty. That’s the chapter where Mary Magdalene, Peter and John go to the tomb and find it empty. This is a very familiar passage to most … Continue reading
Lessons from a D
When I was in first grade, we began each day with a morning coloring assignment. It would be something like ducks and a pond. There were specific directions. We would have to color the baby ducks yellow, the mama duck white, the grass green and the pond blue. We were expected to follow them perfectly … Continue reading
Gray Hair Blessings
I have reached a point in my life where gray hairs are ongoing participants. There are no longer one or two that I can pull. They are everywhere. At the moment, I make regular appointments with my hairdresser, who is also a sweet friend of mine, to keep them covered. I have grown to prefer … Continue reading
The Call to be Light Bearers
My family and I recently visited a Christmas light show. We chose our ticket time carefully because we wanted to be sure it was completely dark. Who wants to watch a light show in the daylight? We were not disappointed. Even though it was overcast and misting rain, the lights were spectacular against the dark … Continue reading
The Christmas Cactus Testimony
About a week ago, I was delighted to find small, bright pink buds on my Christmas Cactus. I tend to it year round, but once a year, it rewards me with stunning tropical blooms. When I see the little buds, it’s like a little announcement from Creation itself that Jesus is coming. It makes no … Continue reading
The Beauty of Connection
My day job includes work as an academic advisor at a university. The students have to make an appointment with me before they can register for the next semester. I always give them the option to meet with me over zoom or in person in my office. Many of them choose zoom. After almost two … Continue reading
A Reminder to Plant
Last Sunday at church, right after we began singing our first praise song, a young family slipped in and sat in the pew in front of us. They had two young girls with them and they were clearly tired and frazzled. The older of the two girls sat down beside her mama, but the younger … Continue reading
Having Faith in Abundance
We recently adopted a pup from the pound. We saw her online and went to meet her and just had to have her. We named her Annie. When we first brought her home, we noticed her ribs were showing and we joked about how we are always good at fattening up our pets. When we … Continue reading