I was walking across our back yard the other day, our outdoor cats weaving around my ankles, when I stopped in my tracks. (The cats were very confused.) Out of nowhere, I was powerfully struck by what I saw happening around me in nature. It’s happened many times before, certainly: noticing cloud shapes and sunsets and sunrise colors, usually. (My husband says I’m always looking up, and he doesn’t mean
How To Salvage A Day When You’re Done Before You Start
On the first morning back to school after spring break, I woke up with a horrible headache and the suspected onset of a cold. Add in my daughter’s anti-enthusiasm about school and a cat who demanded more attention than normal, and my morning was off to a rough start. At 7:16, I sighed and took a sip of my already-cold coffee. “I’m just done,” I muttered, as I walked from
On Love Notes and Hearts
When I was a freshman in high school, I had an intense crush on an older boy. We’re talking intense, y’all. It was orderline obsessive, actually, and looking back, my behavior and feelings were completely unwarranted. I hardly knew him, save our experiences in first period Health & Safety class, and he literally didn’t know I existed. As friends can do, mine were determined to change that. Dissatisfied with my
Learning To Love Christmas Music || I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
I’ve been putting intentional effort into really hearing and singing the lyrics of Christmas carols this year, in the hope of letting them minister to my heart and deepen the meaning of the season. Today, “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.” I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play And mild and sweet their songs repeat Of peace on earth good will to men
Learning To Love Christmas Music || O Come, O Come Emmanuel
My husband and I recently had the opportunity to drive in a much newer car than either of us is accustomed to. One of its features was satellite radio, with its thousands of stations we never would have even thought of had the screen on the dashboard not mentioned them. We had fun perusing them, lingering on some longer than others and singing to songs we never otherwise get to
Running On Empty
It was a little after 10:00 on a Friday when I drifted into the station. I say “drifted” because it seems like the best word for the action that accompanies the proverbial “running on fumes.” My gas tank was empty – as in, the little red arrow was already below the “E” and my car may or may not have been lurching a little as I sidled up to the
Worship: Why does church matter?
If you’ve been following along with our 31 Days of Worship and Music series, I welcome you back. If you’re new here, I would encourage you to check back with some of the previous posts in the series – but it’s not required. I have intentionally planned the series so that each day’s message builds on those before, but so that each could also stand alone. I know how life
Worship: More Than Just “A Church Thing”
If you’ve been following along with our 31 Days of Worship and Music series, I welcome you back. If you’re new here, I would encourage you to check back with some of the previous posts in the series – but it’s not required. I have intentionally planned the series so that each day’s message builds on those before, but so that each could also stand alone. I know how life
Weekend Worship (Part 1)
If you’ve been following along with our 31 Days of Worship and Music series, I welcome you back. If you’re new here, I would encourage you to check back with some of the previous posts in the series – but it’s not required. I have intentionally planned the series so that each day’s message builds on those before, but so that each could also stand alone. I know how life
Worship and Us: Why does it matter?
This past summer, my four year old daughter decided about once a week that she wanted to dress like me. It started one day when we were meeting some friends for a playdate. I was wearing a T-shirt and jeans with my trusty flip-flops, and she announced that she wanted to wear the very same thing…same shirt, same pants, same shoes. The very. same. thing, right down to the delicate silver