In the summertime, my horse Emmett has two great loves: fresh watermelon and his fly mask. Yes—his fly mask. As odd as it may sound, Emmett knows it’s a gift. He doesn’t resist it; in fact, he seems to welcome it, especially when the heat rises and the flies swarm. With his dark coloring, he’s […]
"It is the infinite value of the finished work of Christ upon the cross plus nothing that is the sole basis for the removal of our guilt and the bestowal of the same level of worthiness as is possessed by Christ." -Francis Schaeffer This is one of my favorite quotes and I let it sink […]
I feel vulnerable. And when I feel vulnerable, my first reaction is to run away. While I know my response needs to be to run to God, I'm just realizing that this entire week I've been running from Him. What makes you feel vulnerable? For me, there have been some things brewing like... Loving in […]
Fleeting thoughts about Jesus are no more expensive of our time than fleeting thoughts of fear, worry, or haste.
Inspired by my journal from three years ago: "I told you guys I need peace this morning!" I had just prayed that the Lord would help me know what to write about for this blog post. He answered quickly. Without skipping a beat, my husband let the dog loose to come upstairs. "I thought it […]
We've come to the second of Brother Lawrence's six ways necessary to develop the spiritual life in The Practice of the Presence of God. I've been talking a bit about my weekly phone call with Suzanne each week and how it's inspired me in practicing the presence of God. Something I enjoy about my […]
I mentioned last week that I talk to my friend, Suzanne, every Wednesday morning. This weekly phone call to Suzanne where we talk about our week and cry out to God together; it's actually taught me a lot about practicing the presence of God. There have been too many times in life that I've opened […]
There's only one person I ever call at 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday mornings. It's Suzanne. I don't remember the date it started, but we've been doing this for almost thirteen years. It's become a part of my week's spiritual rhythm...like going to church on Sunday morning. It doesn't cross my mind not to do it […]
It usually happens during a week that I feel the most vulnerable and overwhelmed. My husband says something like, "I think we should have an open house after church on Sunday." I'll instantly think of all that will need to be done to make that happen. I admit I'll also get the vulnerable feeling in […]
Advent Joy isn’t shallow or sentimental—it is rooted in the appearing of Christ. When Scripture speaks of Christ being manifested, it means that God has made Himself clearly seen, known, and encountered in order to save. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation…” — Titus 2:11, ESV The Child in the manger is the […]
Where do you long for Christ’s Peace to enter your story this week? Or have you given up hope for that? Perhaps it would be good for you and me to remember Jesus' words about the kind of peace He gives. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the […]