Have you ever laughed so hard you snorted milk out of your nose? Or peed a little? You know the laugh I'm talking about. Not the pretty one that's totally acceptable for social interactions. The belly laugh you have zero control over. The one people join in laughing at because it's so funny. The unique... Continue Reading →
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2) Repentance. Ew. Anyone else? I love how the 1828 version of Webster's dictionary puts this old church word: in theology, to sorrow or be pained for sin, as a violation of God's holy law, a dishonor to His character and government, and the foulest... Continue Reading →
Journals and I have always had a thing going on. My earliest entry is scribbled in a hardback teddy bear volume with the following message marking the inside front cover: Boys. Parents. Brothers. More boys. Homework. Pets. Boys. Thus begins a lifelong saga of documented hardships. I hope you can sense the eye rolling from... Continue Reading →
CATHARSIS (n): the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions* Like throwing away an old calendar and replacing it with a brand-new, clean, shiny one for a brand-new, clean, shiny year. There's something so purifying about January 1. It's a reminder that God never stops working; He's always up to... Continue Reading →
Hymn to a Good Wife* A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s... Continue Reading →
A baby. A soon-to-be mama. Now what? Well, here we are: it's almost Christmas, and we still have one ghost left to cover before the big day—my very favorite. A bubbly energy rolls from Him as His eyes sparkle and He flashes a happy grin. Meet the Ghost of Christmas Future, a jubilant groom on... Continue Reading →
"Death is the hardest thing about living so far away from our families," Riley murmured as I fought back collapsing into tears again. "No," I replied through gritted teeth, "death is the hardest thing about living, period." Because it doesn't matter if we are in the same room with a loved one or on the... Continue Reading →
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance.... Continue Reading →
"And if he falls in love tonight / It can be assumed / His carefree days with us are over / In short, our pal is doomed." (Timon and Pumbaa) I don't remember how old I was when I first heard the saying about what assuming does. After recovering from the horror of hearing an... Continue Reading →
If you've never read Charles Dickens' seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol, you're missing out, my friend. (And no, watching the Mickey version doesn't count. You don't get, for instance, things like this: "Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail. Mind! I don't mean to say that I know ... what there is particularly dead... Continue Reading →
The Dwelling Place 