My days are spent for the most part in mundane contentment–caring for my family, serving my church, keeping (most of) my deadlines, enjoying my friends, following my favorite sports teams. Life is good. The challenges God has sent or allowed to come my way have been difficult but not destructive, hard but not consuming. I have been blessed. But there are days, when I think of three suffering friends in particular and many world-wide tragedies in general, that I long for heaven. In the title track to his 2004 album You Make All Things New, Steven Curtis Chapman paints a picture of creation, and how God made everything, and it…

My little corner of the world daily risks being overtaken by aliens. Four little aliens constantly invade my personal space, covering it with their paper airplanes, diapers (dirty and clean), homework project scraps, food dribbles and droppings, abandoned Legos, Little People toys, and clothing (dirty and clean). They, and their stuff, will not leave me in peace. Their very existence demands my attention, my time, my energy. The fact that they are MY little aliens—created in me, by me, (and, yes, for me, to a certain extent—I know, the analogy breaks down here, but just hang with me)—their identity as my own creations demands my love. And to a more…

People are laughing at the jokes. This guy is really funny—can’t believe he did that! And wow, can he draw a crowd. The room is packed with folks who came just for him. Even his family is awed by all the friends and colleagues who made the trip out. The stories fly through the room, from silly to poignant, goofy to meaningful. Underneath the chatter, everyone wishes this man didn’t have to miss his own party—his funeral. His widow and children weep through their laughter, celebrating the life of a husband/father/friend/uncle/grandfather who is now gone from their presence. They miss him already. Knowing he’s with the Lord helps in the…

Facebook has made the term “friend” famous again. I’m amazed at how many FB friends I have (442 at the moment), but that’s paltry compared to others. Inviting or accepting a person as your FB friend takes a small amount of judgment (is it safe?), memory (how do I know this person?), and preference (do I want to acknowledge them?). And with those criteria for friendship, Facebook has indeed redefined the word. While it’s a handy term online, “friend” has traditionally meant a whole lot more. The Bible helps us understand the depth of such a relationship. And since I’ve been studying Proverbs this summer, I’ve noticed the term pop…

The call was clear. We knew we were supposed to pursue a new, previously unconsidered ministry. God had told us, “Yes, go for it. This is where I want you.” It just wasn’t something we would have thought up on our own. And so we did. And then God said, “No.” We think. The amount of prayer and counsel that went into our decision to pursue this was phenomenal to us. I’m not sure we even prayed this much about getting married 13 years ago! Everything and everyone was telling us “yes, this is a perfect fit.” We were a little staggered by the overwhelming affirmation. Without getting too specific,…

A dear friend of mine was diagnosed last week with breast cancer. She’s in her mid-thirties, a mom in the prime of life raising young daughters. We are of an age, walking this stage of life together. Reading her email with the words “I have breast cancer” took my breath away momentarily, even though I had been forewarned that the tests were likely to be positive. It’s real. My friend, not some nameless woman or statistic. Someone I love. Ten years ago our tiny church was rocked by the news that another beloved young mother had brain cancer. “Val” is my hero. Watching her walk this road, this “portion God…

I’m several weeks into my one-year-through-the-Bible reading, though I confess that I’m not quite caught up to April 2 just yet. Having a new baby in the house (hence my sabbatical from this blog for the last two months) has cast my waking hours into a fog. I am emerging from the fog, thankfully, but I’m still stuck in Deuteronomy instead of Joshua. (I use the chronological one-year Bible, so it’s all Old Testament right now.) I say “stuck” because reading the Law again (and again) resembles slogging through mud at times. Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy are particularly full of instructions on holy living. The first seven chapters of Leviticus…

Merry Christmas! May the words of God Himself bless you today as you celebrate the humble entry of the divine into this, our world, on behalf of you and me. Isaiah 40:3-5 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Luke 1:17 And he (John) will…

Christmas songs tend to make me more emotional than usual this year. This probably has more to do with my raging hormones than anything else. But the hormones are actually part of the equation–I’m 7 months pregnant. And many of the worship songs I’m hearing lately talk about baby Jesus, so it doesn’t take long for my waterworks to start spilling over. Especially if my baby boy gives a kick or roll as I’m singing along. Seriously, last Sunday I lost my composure during a simple song about God reaching down to save us. While the song may have been simply constructed, the content was nothing of the sort. The…

Yesterday I spent Thanksgiving with my family of origin. My little brood traveled to be with my mother, brothers and their families, plus friends and extended family. The kids ran wild with their cousins and are even now sleeping soundly (6:50 am) after such an active, fun, full day. The adults enjoyed razzing each other, watching football, eating everyone’s favorite dishes, and generally being together.  Before we attacked the mountains of food, however, we did gather around to give thanks. I was surprised to hear my mom take charge of the prayer with such confidence and grace. Often that task is delegated. But she thanked God for those who had…