Bible
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A Psalm 136 Christmas Letter
Last week I started a Christmas letter. Determined to NOT skip another year, I hastily (because I’m busy) and concisely (because I dislike long epistles) shared the “highlights” of the year. Why? Good question. It stems from the days prior to Facebook and Instagram to keep everyone up to date on our lives. In the “old” days, Christmas letters let far-away relatives know what we’d been doing – vacations, moves, etc. We’d share glowing reports of our kids’ activities – soccer, band, lessons, scouts, dance, you name it. In keeping with tradition, I replayed that old record. Then I hit delete. Something didn’t set well. Something wasn’t right. Oh, everything…
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Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!
Nobody likes to be lied to. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live or how old you might be. We all have a universal need – an expectation really – to hear the truth. Think about it. When we are facing any given situation – before we can take any steps to deal with it – we ask for the facts, right? We want to know exactly what we’re facing. “Give it to me straight, Doc!” When a problem arises we “Google it,” read a book or ask friends for more info. We. Desire. Truth. In Ephesians 6, the Bible describes truth as a belt. According to…
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The Day of Uncertainty
What was it like on the day “in between?” When I read the crucifixion and resurrection events of the Bible I like to imagine what they were they thinking, feeling, experiencing – at that time – in that place. By “they” I mean Jesus’ friends, disciples, family members and loved ones. This morning I woke up wondering, did what they witnessed on that fateful Friday keep them up all night? As the horrors of yesterday replayed in their minds, did they wonder, “Did that REALLY happen?” Or “What could we have done differently?” Certainly, some were tormented by such thoughts. Others may have wondered, “Should I have done something?…
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Come and See
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Can’t you just hear the sweet voice of Linus as he lisps these tender words, clutching his blanket, alone on stage? He is so sincere – as he often strives to be – and so convincing that I think, “He means it. He must mean it. Linus knew His Savior” …or perhaps his creator, Charles Schultz did. As of this writing, we haven’t watched it yet, but viewing “The Charlie Brown Christmas” is a must in our house each year. Another custom is the reading Luke 2. Traditionally I devour the…
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For the One
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14 (NIV) I love sheep. If you’ve known me a long time, you might know that already. I’ve been collecting sheep of all shapes and sizes for many years. When I…
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Parallel Parking and God – A Lesson in Listening
My last child, #4, takes her driving test very soon. She is just about ready, but has needed to work on her parking skills before the big behind-the-wheel exam. I have attempted to show her various maneuvers in a parking lot, but knew I had to pass her off to her dad to cover the intricacies of parallel parking. You see, her dad, who is a car-loving “gear-head” if there ever was one, can park a car inside our garage within inches of the walls and corners! A few days ago they set out to practice on the road, but before they did, my husband attempted to show our daughter…
