In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel announces the divinely-appointed births of two world-changing babies. First he tells Zechariah that Elizabeth will give birth to John the Baptist. Next he tells Mary that she will give birth to the King, the long-awaited Messiah. Zechariah and Mary both respond with a question. Zechariah: "How can I be sure of … Continue reading Advent Week 2 -The Promise of a King
Tag: Costa Rica
Running in the Rain
You don’t have to know me well to know I’m not a runner. My inner critic says, You might know at first glance, but I tell that voice to hush up now. For various reasons, I haven’t run since a college-required fitness class, mostly because it felt torturous, no fun at all. Walking, hiking, YES, … Continue reading Running in the Rain
One Year Later
A year ago today, in our last few hours in Costa Rica, I wrote this post: How was your summer? Oh, how to answer that question…? In many ways this summer has been like others: We’ve shopped, cooked, and cleaned We’ve done laundry We’ve paid bills We’ve played with the dog We’ve read, relaxed, and … Continue reading One Year Later
Jumbled
My kids don't do transitions well. I know this, and sometimes it still surprises me. During a still-early fall hallway conversation with Tween's then-2nd grade teacher, she commented that Tween didn't seem to be taking school seriously. Without missing a beat I responded, "Give him until Thanksgiving and he'll be great!" She looked at me … Continue reading Jumbled
Jesus: The Way
As we planned and lived last year's Costa Rica summer, guides took on an importance like never before. Before we left we had maps and guidebooks and websites, all of which we continually referenced throughout the trip. But once on the ground, we also relied on new friends and strangers to point the way; just after we … Continue reading Jesus: The Way
Shameless Audacity
One year ago our family was caught up in a season of prayer and preparation for Guy's pastoral sabbatical. For two years we had thought we'd go to Peru to work with Kids Alive International in the Andes. Guy has been several times and his heart has broken for the needs of the people there; … Continue reading Shameless Audacity
Where do we place our hope?
I had a surprising and completely lovely conversation with Tween after Sunday school this morning. I asked him about the lesson, and he told me the story commonly called The Rich Young Ruler (found in Matthew 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-27): a man who has kept all the commandments asks Jesus what else he must do, … Continue reading Where do we place our hope?
Day 30
What gives when your life goes wonky? (Personal follow-up: when is my life ever not wonky?) A week after we returned from Costa Rica I heard about this great language-learning app, Duolingo. Determined to capitalize on two months of hearing and attempting to speak Spanish, I immediately installed the app on my phone and got to … Continue reading Day 30