The Other Shoe
For Oma Janie and her Pat, whom she and many will miss dearly. It always drops, ya know: that darn other shoe. Just the other night, Jack and I stayed up way too late talking about how hard it is to not live in fear when so many hard things have happened. It’s easy to believe that life is dominated by the drop of that second shoe. It’s easy to believe that happiness is not attainable, peace cannot reside permanently in our hearts. It’s hard to live happily, even when everything is happy. We found a scripture that night that we wrote on our black board at the bottom of…
Humble Pie
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 I think we forget something about humility. It’s–I know!–one of the gag words. No one wants a piece of humble pie served up so big and unavoidable and public (why does that always seem to be the case with me?) that there is no choice but to gulp it down as fast as possible. I think we forget that it’s not a bad thing. Mother Theresa said it best: “Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted…
The J Monster
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 I am always surprised when the J monster slithers under the back door of my heart. One moment I am enjoying a friendship, and the next my heart tightens and races as if it has been poisoned. I feel the beast climbing up my throat, threatening to choke out our conversation. I shake my head, trying to shake loose of its grip. I leave the moment in a fog, asking myself, Where did that come from? But once…
Manna, Quail, and Breast milk, part 1
Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” Exodus 16:4-6 Please read the entirety of Exodus 16 During my pregnancy with Sam, the doctors prepared me for the fact that he may never breast feed because of his heart condition. I prepared myself to pump and feed him bottles, grateful to have a baby to feed at all while quietly mourning a bonding experience I had so looked forward to with each of my…
How to use the Bible as a tool
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all…
