The essence of this exercise is nothing else but a simple and direct reaching out to God for himself…not (asking) to be released from pain or for his reward to be increased; in a word (the practitioner) asks for nothing but God himself; so much so that s/he takes no account or regard of […]
Kirsten Grace – Month 12
Kirsten! You are 1 year old today! Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! This year has gone by faster than any year I have ever experienced, feeling almost impossible that 12 months have passed since you came (rather reluctantly) into our arms. It was a long, hard labor (nearly 28 hours after my water was broken) and […]
Kirsten Grace – Month 11
Dear Kirsten, Oh goodness, sweet girl, I missed your 10th month post completely. I saw it coming, I saw it fly right past me, and I consciously decided not to chase it down. It’s hard for your mom to let stuff go…to say “I need some margin in my life and I have none right now.” […]
An Advent People
This morning I have the privilege of ushering you all into the New Year…the new liturgical year, that is. At Monroe Free Methodist Church, Pastor Kevin and I have chosen to follow the Revised Common Lectionary and today is the beginning of Advent, the start of the new Church year. To begin, we’ll spend some time breaking […]
Single-mindedness
At the end of Luke chapter 9, Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). It is with this resoluteness that Jesus continues the rest of his ministry: a singleminded focus on the plan of redemption for which God had sent him. He is determined to do the will of his Father and to bring […]
Persistence in Prayer
Very often, it seems that our spiritual lives can be marked by seasons. There are seasons of action, seasons of waiting, seasons of darkness, seasons of sadness, seasons of joy, seasons of peace. In seeking what the Lord would have me to do right now, his answer was PRAY. I reiterated my question to him, […]
Kirsten Grace – Month 9
My dear, sweet Kirsten Grace, Every time I walk into your room to get you from your crib, I am physically overwhelmed with love and cannot seem to utter any other greeting than an overly-exuberant, “Hi baby!” I know you are hardly a baby anymore. You are growing up before my eyes into a unique […]
Kirsten Grace – Month 8
My sweet baby girl, You are growing up so beautifully and (just as I’ve been warned) so quickly. I am cherishing your gummy grins while they last (for your teeth still haven’t decided to make an appearance). I am soaking in our moments in the rocking chair, nursing you before nap times and bedtimes (for […]
Kirsten Grace – Month 7
My sweet Kirsten, Wow! What a joy it is to be your mother! Watching you grow and develop, experiencing the world’s sights and sounds through your perspective is so much fun. I am being transformed, daughter. Through mothering you, the Lord is opening my eyes to his grace in new ways. I am being tested, […]
Camp with Middle Schoolers
This week I had the awesome privilege of being the evangelist for the Young Teen Campers at Somerset Beach. I cannot adequately describe what the Holy Spirit did at camp this week. Far beyond anything I asked or imagined, God was on the move, and lives (especially mine) were changed. More than any other year […]