For the next few weeks, I’ll be doing a blog series that follows my Bible study: Sustain Us Oh Lord: Finding Strength When Life is Hard. In June, I taught the study at my church, so thought I would follow up with blog posts. This study began when I realized the multitude of Bible verses […]
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The feral mama in my neighborhood gathered her kittens as the Kansas wind increased. Storms were brewing. “Possibly severe,” the meteorologist warned. In Kansas, we take storms seriously. So did the feral mama, so her babies only needed to obey and follow her to the shelter she provided. Those kittens were carefully herded under a
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Throughout the years in multiple Bible studies and sermons, she has been pictured as the ‘not enough’ woman. Not enough faith. Not enough like her sister, Mary. Not enough commitment to stop everything and listen to Jesus teach. Yet, I like her. Martha. Legend says she was a wealthy widow, and it was her home
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In multiple places of scripture, we find the directive, “Be Still.” Entire sermons can be written about what that means, but each of us needs to determine our own response. How can we personally ‘be still?’ First, consider the opposite. What does it mean to not be still? When we worry about a situation we
Finding God’s will for our lives. Doing what God wants us to do. Being all God created us to be. These phrases are often buzz words for sermons, Bible studies, or podcasts. They represent thoughts we pray for, seek to attain as true Jesus-followers. Often with the hope of pleasing God. We focus on purpose
Pundits in the news media these days are writing and speaking about revenge. Enacting punishment on certain political opponents. Multiple lawsuits. And expressing the viciousness contained in social media posts. Yet for people who call themselves Jesus-followers, revenge should never be one of our labels. Instead, we are called to forgive. To step through the
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Perhaps this has happened to you. Plans are solid for an upcoming event. People invited. Groceries bought. Supplies carefully packed in the car. The space rented. Clothing chosen. You’re in charge and excited about the weekend. Then you wake up with a mysterious illness. Sore throat. Slight fever. COVID-negative but feeling lousy-positive. Can you push
As I checked another day off my planner, I knew an escape from my office was absolutely necessary. Something to refresh my spirit. One of those ‘Artist Dates’ that Julia Cameron writes about. Ice cream? Nah — not really hungry for it and not healthy anyway. Chai tea? Nope — too late in the day
It lay on my driveway. A tiny bundle of brown feathers. Still. So still as I approached. A sparrow. Not a baby that might have fallen from the nest. This was an adult. Did she fly into my window and break her neck? None of the feral cats seemed to care. Their bellies already filled
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The cast iron pot represents one of the most poignant memories of my childhood. Every Sunday, it was prepped for our after-church dinner: pot roast (our own beef — free from any hormones or preservatives), carrots and potatoes from our garden, a Jell-o salad with fruit cocktail, Zwieback (the Mennonite bread — a double decker