Get Out of Your Way

Two weeks.  In light of eternity, that’s nothing but a blip on the radar screen of our life. Yet in the midst of that timeframe, it can feel like a life sentence. I’m kidding (somewhat).  We are nearing the end of a two week quarantine my daughter was forced to take.  Let me amend that.  …

Let It Go

Having three granddaughters, it’s no wonder I’m subjected ad nauseam to the well-known hit “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen.  Good song, for sure.  But when you’ve heard it a thousand times, well, it starts to sound more like nails on a chalkboard.  https://media.giphy.com/media/kGX3WmRxZ9HUs/giphy.gif Speaking of granddaughters…last weekend my patience (whatever was left of …

Turn It Around

Turn It Around A couple weeks ago, I started something called “Morning Pages,” an idea I got from a book called “The Artist’s Way.”  It’s 3 pages (no more or less) of writing.  It’s kind of like a brain dump upon waking up.  Some days it’s a struggle to come up with something, so I …

Life Is in the Blood

“For the life of a creature is in the blood…” Leviticus 17:11 Exactly one week ago, at 7:31 p.m., my first grandson was born.  Between COVID restrictions and my son-in-law working as an out-of-state truck driver, the role of birthing coach fell to me.  While I have seen all three of my granddaughter’s births, this …

Light in Barren Places

Last weekend it was finally “warm” enough here in Wisconsin to get outdoors. As I’m usually up early, it was perfect timing to take my dog for a walk at the nearby park.  We started off with my back to the east.  It’s a long trip around what’s now a frozen pond.  In the warmer …

Life Is Uncomfortable

Several years ago, when my family was still intact, I taught a workshop at church on the subject of marriage. I shared some of the struggles experienced in my own and the ways God had moved.  Afterwards, a woman stopped me to mention that her older teenage daughter had asked why I shared such personal …

Don’t Worry About Tomorrow

It’s been quiet on my part, the last couple of weeks.  Haven’t been in a place where I had much to offer others when I was struggling myself.  But then I remembered that it’s in sharing our own trials and troubles, we can begin to rise up.  We live in an imperfect world and to …

It’s Complicated

Grace is one of those words you don’t hear much, outside Christian circles.  Inside the circle, it’s oftentimes thrown around without much thought to how complicated it can be. We receive grace.  We give grace.  End of story.  The reality is that sometimes the act of offering grace comes with emotions that can impede the …

Hatred Is Blinding

It doesn’t matter what side you fall on when it comes to politics, race, religion or any other societal issue. On either side hatred is blinding.  So much that we can mistake our own hate for “passionate” beliefs. Conviction. Truth. Or whatever other label we use to define our stand. Hatred isn’t always obvious.  It …

Dear Self of 2020

Dear Self of 2020, It’s January 1st and you’re facing an uncertain (more than you can know) year.  I know this isn’t what you imagined life to be—losing everything that once made you secure.  It feels sad and scary to be on your own.  But you’ll discover untapped hope and strength.  2020 will start off …

What Is Love?

I’m not feeling the love lately.  Social media has been spewing a whole lot of hatred.  It’s coming from the Christians, too…even though many would probably excuse it as “sharing truth.”  There is a way to do this without making it sound like you’re one of the last remaining holy persons to exist.  https://media.giphy.com/media/Ma0e4goA5juLpo7pbC/giphy.gif Families …

Embracing the Uncomfortable

2020. We’re nearing the end, as some breath a collective sigh of relief.  Ready to leave it all behind because it was just so, well, uncomfortable. It took us out of our comfort zones in so many ways. We had to face difficult issues in our society. We learned that so much is out of …