This week we are attempting to “practice kindness.” How could you say that kindly? How could you respond differently right now? I’m sure it’s going to get annoying, but we have got to start some new habits (and stop yelling at each other). I could point my finger at my little people, but it might get dangerous with that big log in my eye. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not...
God is up to something in me. I feel a particular strain of truth hitting me from several directions and I’m wading in the deep of it. We have just started a study of Galatians in our community group. I’m reading Elyse Fitzpatrick’s “Good News for Weary Women: escaping the bondage of to-do lists, steps, and bad advice,” I had a conversation about judging and grace with my friend Katie over lunch leftovers last week while the kids ran...
Around our house, a lot of times we’re just surviving and trying to curb behavior, but sometimes we slow down and try to examine our hearts. We try to understand why we’re acting the way we, and then ask Jesus to adjust us. We are currently talking about this verse, so I thought I’d share it with you today! In this illustration, I wanted to show that a tranquil heart isn’t the result of tranquil situations. We’re always bombarded...
I don’t know about you, but I’m in a desperate sort of place. Fading are my illusions of progress and maturity. God help me practice patience today, I prayed this morning. God, forgive my lack of patience today, I prayed tonight. My little people, my current calling, this winter gloom, my heavy heart, all leave me . . . low. Functioning, but low. Maybe God is stripping away the self-righteousness that keeps me from clinging to His righteousness alone. ...
It’s so good to be back after my month of rest! Even though my husband (who has recovered well) was stuck on the couch a good two weeks after his knee surgery, I found there’s a soul rest that doesn’t depend on the fullness of your days. My house is rarely quiet, but my soul needed to stop striving and live quietly for a while. Over the break, I read three books in the Chronicles of Narnia series that...
I know it looks like I’ve gotten my blog posts all mixed up and have skipped Thanksgiving, but I promise this is right on time! I have a very vivid memory of one Christmas as a child. I must have been in about third grade. It was evening on Christmas day and I was curled up in the corner of my bedroom feeling completely deflated. It hadn’t been magical. The gifts I got were nice, but maybe slightly disappointing...
