A dear friend of mine is about to plunge herself into a spiritual challenge of heroic proportions. The problem is, she doesn't realize it. Right now, she's just doing what's in front of her and planning her next step of obedience. When I visited with her about increased responsibility, exponential stress, and a zillion "what ifs," I found myself wishing she had someone to help her. For various reasons, the kind of help I can offer her is limited. She needs more, and I cannot provide … [Read more...]
Why this trial?
It’s often said, “You’ve either been through a trial, are going through a trial, or are headed for a trial.” I’m not sure who first said it, but life sure has a way of validating the statement, doesn’t it? Pandemic, anyone? Add to that a thousand physical, emotional, and spiritual battles along the way, and we realize that to live is to face trials. Pandemic or not. Doesn't it make you long for a time when you can retire on a beach and cast your trials into the ocean? But by that … [Read more...]
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do
“Mom, I have a problem.” It’s the phone greeting no one wants. For a parent, those five words have the power to rev up the circulatory system and unleash a maximum dose of adrenaline. It was a gorgeous day, and since everything in our entire schedule had been canceled, my son went fishing. He drove our four-wheeler less than a quarter of a mile to the nearest shoreline to see if anything was biting. He’d been gone a couple hours when he called. “Mom, I have a problem.” Before he had … [Read more...]
One More Important Cancellation
Is your Easter Sunday going to look a little different this year? Every year on Easter Sunday, our extended family begins our resurrection celebration with a sunrise service. At the end of a low-maintenance gravel road, 20-30 people--depending on the unpredictable spring weather—gather on the highest point in town. Strangely, or perhaps fittingly, the highest point of this village, nestled in the grasslands of the Midwest, is in the cemetery. On the coldest mornings, we huddle beside a … [Read more...]
What’s Your Love Story?
Every year around this time, especially when I'm pondering what to write about "love," I'm bombarded with song lyrics from the soundtrack of my teen years. Most of them come from pop songs I recorded on cassette with my single-speaker boom box. In so many of the lyrics about love, questions surround the concept. Questions about Love "What is love?" Haddaway asked, and has asked repeatedly for two decades. "What's love got to do with it?" lamented Tina Turner with her signature hair … [Read more...]
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