She is often used as a scapegoat in biblical discussions, but I totally get where she’s coming from. Sarai, devoted wife of Abram, who wanted more than anything to bless her husband with a child. But she was barren for the majority of her life. Month after month, year after year, they prayed for a […]
Hope in the Unanswered Read More »
“So . . . what can we do? How can we help them understand without preaching at them?” “Well . . . what if we write a book together and explain it in clear language, without any put downs?” And so we did. My son and I had this conversation in 2019, a few months
Hope in Uploading Faith Read More »
What does it mean to call yourself a ‘creative?’ That you constantly come up with new ideas? That you begin a thought and then take a rabbit trail another direction? Or that your desk is always a mess? My definition of creativity involves two possibilities: For Jordan Raynor, author of Called to Create: a Biblical
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On Friday nights, I finish in my office, shut the door, and find a good movie to watch. It helps me deprogram from the week and escape into either a good biography, a drama, or sometimes — even one of those predictable Hallmark movies. One Friday, I happened upon a movie I had never seen
Hope Preceded by Perseverance Read More »
As a life coach going through the certification process, I learned about the power of open-ended questions. If we ask the right questions, people will often figure out the source of the problem. They may even come up with the best solution all by themselves. In the past with various religious experiences, we were told
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During a recent trip to New Mexico and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, we searched for deer. Every time someone in the family saw a deer, we cheered. We called to them, hoping to pet them or maybe feed them some leftover crackers. The deer are a special fixture in the mountains, a cherished part
Hope’s Perspective Read More »
Although the music and sounds of July Fourth are now a week past, I still like to focus on freedom—specifically the freedom where I spend most of my time—writing. It feels as if this freedom has always been part of our lives. One of the things we might take for granted. But only since 1791
As we celebrate the Fourth of July and the freedoms of the United States of America, we also reflect on the personal freedoms we have grown to appreciate. The practice of freedom changes during the various demographics of life. As children, our freedoms are decided for us by adults who are supposed to be wiser
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As a creative person and the leader of a group of creative writers, I’m always seeing the creativity around me. One of the places I’ve noticed an unusual amount of creativity is within my church. The Pianist: She adds notes to basic chords, filling them out so that they resonate with the melody, yet create
Sabbath Creativity Read More »
Someone recently asked me, “What do you do to find rest?” My oxymoron reply, “I have to intentionally work to find rest.” Except for the times when life throws me in bed with an illness or unresolved grief, I have to plan for rest. My strong work ethic was forged on the family farm where
Hope Searches for Rest Read More »