Need a Retreat?
I want to extend a welcome invitation to each of you to a retreat that I will be speaking at the first weekend in April. It is called Restore Moms Retreat and it is open to any mom of any age. (That means grandmothers are invited too!). Here are more details from Lisa Samford, the founder of Restore Moms: “Restore…
Dialoguing with God
I came across a great passage on prayer through my current devotional book called Forty Days of Prayer by Kit Cummings. Here are the verses and some of my thoughts: The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you…
How to be on the Same Page
I have a friend who expressed how she wished that her family could somehow all be “on the same page” with each other. Oh how I want that for my family as well! I’m sure you may feel this longing about your loved ones, or your co-workers, or even the people you serve with in ministry. One way to bring…
Waiting with ….
My daughter Maggie is due with her first baby any day now. Her sister Emmy came to Chicago for a few days, hoping to be present for the birth, but little Hally Christine isn’t quite ready to make her grand appearance… yet. We’re all waiting. Waiting is hard, isn’t it? I know we all have had circumstances that have brought…
Theme Verse for 2020
Not too long ago, I came across one of my favorite Bible stories. It’s found in 2 Chronicles 20:1-22. I encourage you to take three minutes to read it. To paraphrase, Judah was being attacked on all sides. King Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:3). He called the people of Judah together and lifted…
The Privilege of Cradling Christ
I have a collection of manger scenes, some small, some large, all unique. I love getting them out each year and finding a special spot for them. For some reason, as I have looked at these over the last couple of weeks, my eyes have been drawn to the manger bed that holds the Christ-child. How strange to focus in…
Humble Thoughts about the Humble One
As we are now in the thick of the holiday season, the propensity to be distracted by so many things increases by the day, so much so that we lose focus of the one thing we are celebrating (see Luke 10:41-42). Let’s face it, we are a frantic and frazzled people, all in the name of Christmas. Today, I’m hoping to pull you…
Fall Wreath of Thankfulness
My interior decorator friend Madelaine and I have another wreath to add to our seasonal collection. All of these wreaths, Holiday Wreath of Hope, Winter Wreath of Peace, Spring Wreath of Grace, and Summer Wreath of Life, bear a spiritual significance to their intentional elements. Here is the Fall Wreath of Thankfulness: Start with a grapevine wreath. All our wreaths…
Filling vs. Feeling
My feelings cannot be trusted. One day I’m skipping along without a worry in the world; then the very next day, I might be carrying the weight of this world on my shoulders. Things that sway my emotions range from fatigue, hormones, outside circumstances, inner wrestlings, discouragement in the present, or fear of the future. If I operated from these…
Beyond Loved
When we think of God’s love, we tend to define it with human parameters by using personal relationships we have known and experienced. The thing is, even the best relationships have flaws. The good news it that God’s love is perfect and it is beyond what we can ever humanly comprehend. The apostle Paul prays, “(I ask that) Christ may dwell…
