Cattle wander along rolling hills under a sunny sky. I'm homeward bound from a visit with my son Jed and my newest daughter-in-law Rebecca. Tears sting my eyes as I drive. Photo credit: Iakov Filimonov, Shutterstock.com Oh, no, did you have a tiff with the girl? There's plenty of mother-in-law jokes out there, and plenty of conflict within families. I wouldn't blame you for making that assumption. Thankfully, my tears that day were happy tears. I'd been reflecting on the three young women that God brought into our family, the brides well-chosen by our sons. Scott and I had Continue Reading
Why You Need to Look at Passion Differently (Whether You’re Single or not)
She meanders through the bar, looking for him. Is he the young brunette in the snappy sport coat? The suave middle-aged businessman? The dimpled crooner at the mic? Where, oh where, is Mr. Right? She has her audition plan all worked out. When she sees a likely candidate, she asks him if he's single, if he's gay, and if he's working. If he passes the first battery of questions, she kisses him full on the mouth. If the magic feeling doesn't hit her, she walks away. In the end, using this highly questionable method, she finds Mr. Right, and wedding bells ring. Why? Because this Continue Reading
6 Ways to Take Heart While You Wait for Your Breakthrough
You've prayed. You've waited. You've prayed again and waited some more. You've had other people pray -- and you're still waiting. Which begs the question: How do we do life in the tension of the already/not yet? Three parallel phrases in Scripture speak to the "in between" places of our lives. Psalm 84 describes pilgrims on their way to Zion going "from strength to strength." Romans 1:17 says the righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is "from faith to faith." 2 Corinthians 3:18 describes believers as being transformed "from glory to glory." We're on a Continue Reading
The Surprising Privilege You Have as a Christian Grandparent
If you have grandchildren, I don't have to tell you what a delight they can be. It's the best of both worlds -- we get to enjoy them, but then hand them off to their parents when it comes to discipline. What a sweet deal! While it's true that we are not primarily responsible for our grandchildren, just last night, I ran across a verse in my Bible reading which caused me to sit up and pay attention. In Deuteronomy, Moses is leaving final instructions with the Israelites as they prepare to go in and take possession of the land God has promised them. As he reiterates the history of Continue Reading