In the quiet of early morning, two weeks before Christmas, I'm sitting in my office reflecting on the season. The dark wood of an empty crib gleams in the flickering light of a single candle. We're expecting two new grandchildren -- one any day now, the other next month. The crib is for nap times at Nana's house. But right now, looking at that crib,  I'm not thinking about little Zaccai or Helaina. I'm thinking about a baby born two thousand years ago. I consider how small Jesus made himself for our sakes. The one for whom and by whom and through whom all things were made allowed Continue Reading

I pull my robe around me against the chill, tug the window shade up to let in the morning sun -- and gasp wide-eyed at the scene before me. As a native of the California coast, it wasn't until I moved to Hamilton, Montana that I experienced waking up to the first snowfall of the season. Sure, I'd driven "to the snow" before, but this was different. The snow came to me. It had settled quietly in the night, blanketing the world in pristine white. Gangly dried weeds turned to intricate sculptures. The abandoned, burned out shack next door magically morphed into a charming Continue Reading

When someone asks you how you are, what's your typical answer? If you're like most people, you probably say something about being busy. We live in a culture where busyness is expected. Life has become faster and faster, with more and more "conveniences" demanding our attention. Our schedules are jammed. Our inner motors are constantly revved up. It's a go go go world, and we work hard to keep up. Problem is, we like it that way. As my pastor Kevin Beeson said recently, We wear our busyness like a badge of honor. It makes us feel like we're important. People used to say that Continue Reading