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The Funny Thing About Thanksgiving
I remember a few years back Oprah used to encourage followers to list things they were grateful for on a daily basis, like keeping a journal of gratitude. Obviously this is not a bad thing, but I just wonder if this is really effective. Is our idea of living in gratitude simply about stating the things we appreciate on a daily basis, or keeping these little blessings in a book? And what ends up on the list…is it only the Facebook worthy happenings, the best that we want everyone to see, maybe that great Black Friday find, or is it something deeper like that quiet stillness we might treasure before…
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A Clash of Wills
Today was a day of battling wills, which most people will understand wasn’t pleasant even though the idea of clashing wills may seem a bit abstract and unclear. In philosophical terms the human will is described as a faculty of the mind, including reason and understanding, which is rather humorous; if the will is a part of reason and understanding, then why does it tend to be so headstrong and unreasonable? Looking to the book of Genesis, this wilful tendency becomes apparent very quickly. God had an incredible plan to create a world where humans could live in eternal communion with him, enjoying his presence and all of his creation,…
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Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness
I may have been MIA for the past two months, but my brain has been anything but silent. With my daughter graduating high school, the bustle of the end of the school year activities for the younger peeps, a fourth birthday for my little man, appointments, daily chores, grad party prep, life, work, summer…I’m exhausted just typing it, yet by the grace and provision of God, I am surviving and have done a lot of contemplating in the process. For my graduating daughter, this has been a time of great excitement, a milestone anticipated for years, and culminating in a daunting schedule of senior events and parties. It’s a season…
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The Old is Made New
Many of you may have heard the saying, broken crayons still color, referring to broken people still having value and purpose according to God. I’m not sure who originally penned the words, but it’s a concept many people can identify with, far more than the enemy wants us to believe. We all struggle in this life, some a little more than others, but when we come to God, humbled and at the end of ourselves, we begin a journey of healing and restoration that will prepare us not only for the purpose he calls us to in this life, but for the work we will do in the next. There…
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The Way of Progressive Parenting
I’ve been mulling this piece over in my mind for months, but couldn’t quite get to the root of what was troubling me. It’s not that I’m so closed-minded to new ideas that I can’t accept anything beyond what I’ve always known. To the contrary, it has been through this openness that God has rid me of many selfish behaviors and reformed my mind to his truth. It is also through his provision that I finally gained clarity into what has been disturbing me in the newer philosophies on parenting, which are probably not so much newer, just more pervasive. We live in a culture where many believe the old…
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What we learn from Martha
You may not have been fortunate enough to have a grandmother named Martha, like I did, but if you’ve spent enough time in church you’ve heard of Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. They were friends and followers of Jesus who generously offered hospitality in his travels. During a particular visit recorded in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus was teaching a number of people in their home and Martha was apparently busy with preparations of some kind, possibly waiting on everyone, while her sister, Mary, sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach. Martha being slightly disgruntled at having to do all the work, interrupts Jesus to complain, and…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 3: Preparation for the Feast
We’ve finally made it to the main course and are ready to talk feasting. So at this point you’re probably hungry and wondering what there is to talk about. We all know “feasting” and need no instruction on the subject, right? Yet in our culture, where food is so much more than sustenance, I wonder do we really know feasting or is it just another day of eating? If we look to the Bible, feasting is always associated with a celebration or a holy day. It’s important to understand that although a celebration may include feasting, the feast isn’t usually the focus of the celebration. Some may come to a…
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Feasting & Fasting Part 1: The Introduction
Long before I took my first college course or got my first job, I was a dietitian. I have always loved food and started cooking and baking when I was just a kid. My grandfather also taught me about gardening, how to clean fish and allowed me to help as he milked cows and cared for the other farm animals. From a young age, I learned where food came from, how it was processed and how to make it pleasing to the palate. Becoming a dietitian deepened my understanding of the nutritional aspect of food, and later discovering my own food intolerance and allergy further broadened my education and gave…
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Creating an Ishmael
In the book of Genesis we are introduced to a man named Abram and witness God’s blessing and calling upon his life. As their relationship develops Abram voices his concerns over having to leave all that God gives him to a servant, because he has no heirs, and God makes Abram a promise. Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall…
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January
Of all the months, January holds the most distinct position of announcing big change. It leads us into the new year and is keeper of all those well-intentioned resolutions. January reminds us that as each year passes, we grow a little older and perhaps a little wiser. Winter may officially come in December, yet where I live, January also harbors some of the coldest weather we endure. Sure it’s just a month with nothing more magical than it’s orderly place in the rotation, but in many ways January can set the tone for where our focus lies throughout much of the year. For me personally, January also holds memories of…
