Tag: Bible

Create Hope

I have known today's guest post writer for close to half my lifetime, and she has been one of God's best gifts to me: laid back and passionate; thoughtful and whip-smart; kind and prayerful. She also has one of the best laughs I've ever heard. She seriously listens and together we laugh until we cry. She's also … Continue reading Create Hope

How Do We Pray?

As we walked the trail, my friends talked about dealing with stress: exercise, meditation, therapy, hypnosis… I said, “Or you could pray.” They expected that from me, but I didn’t expect their response: “Well, you know how to do that. We don’t know how to pray. Maybe you need to pray for us every morning.” … Continue reading How Do We Pray?

Don’t Give Up

Persistent defines Teen well, one of his stronger personality traits. We have snakes in our house because of Teen’s persistence. I said yes to geckos but NO to snakes. For years, Teen argued, researched, debated, cajoled, prayed – and believe me, we had long conversations about how God answers prayer: yes, no, or not now. … Continue reading Don’t Give Up

Advent 2 – Finding Peace

Ironically, during a week in which I've intentionally focused on expecting peace, I've found distress more often. The same hour I learned about the mass shooting in San Bernardino, I also heard that a neighbor, husband of an acquaintance, was in a suicidal stand-off with police. He alternately pointed a pistol at his temple and his mouth and, after hours of … Continue reading Advent 2 – Finding Peace

Advent 1 – Expecting Peace

Stating the obvious: we do not live in a peaceful world. War and rumors of war. School shootings. Crime in all its variety. Job stress. Illness. Divorce. Even in my everyday mundane suburban life, peace seems elusive. So today's title made me wonder: do I expect peace? Maybe my faith is too small. Maybe my … Continue reading Advent 1 – Expecting Peace

Generous and Free

Warning: Reading the Bible can lead to unexpected changes in behavior. “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.” Psalm 112:5 NIV I read this verse in the morning, as I often do, and asked God what He wanted to say. I reflected on our recent … Continue reading Generous and Free

Scripture: Our Map

This picture has always struck me as an accurate portrayal of my relationship with my mom – the two of us snuggled up, enjoying a book together. Mom read with me all the way through high school, and even when I was in college she sometimes read the books I was assigned. She loves to read, I … Continue reading Scripture: Our Map

A Beautiful Week

I have to laugh. I declared my intention to put myself in the way of beauty this year. And the first full week of January began with an ant infestation and was dominated by two kids with poison oak and multiple doctors visits. Neither ants nor poison oak could ever possibly fall into the "beauty" … Continue reading A Beautiful Week