Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Blog”
Do you like to do puzzles? My father was a master at doing puzzles. He had the patience to find the flat edged pieces first and then organize the rest by color. Actually, he had a great lifehack for puzzle assembly. He laid a science fair backboard on the table and assembled his puzzle on that. When he wanted to …
I think the most universally known Bible passage is not John 3:16, but “the Golden Rule.” Even if we can’t point to chapter and verse (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31), we all know that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. In the Gospel of Luke, just before Jesus offers “The Golden Rule,” he says: “give to …
Have you ever really, really wanted something, only to realize when you got it that it wasn’t all you expected or hoped? When I was about 11 years old, I begged my parents for a pair of white roller skates. I know I begged because … well, because I was quite precocious and demanding. Life and maturity have softened some …
Do you ever feel like life is chaotic? When things in my life are calm and peaceful, I only have to watch the news for a few minutes to be immersed in the chaos of our times. In the midst of the chaos it can feel like God is distant. It can feel like everything is bad, everything is hard, …
I have been giddy about God since the first moment I really understood God’s unconditional love. Not that I understand it completely, but once I got a glimpse of it, I was forever changed. I also found it easier to talk honestly about God from that moment on; I felt like I actually had something to say. It’s tempting to …
Jesus preaches release to the captives and this is good news because I’m a captive. I don’t like to think of myself that way. I much prefer thinking of myself as an independent person. I value my freedom. I’m proud that freedom and liberty are core values in my country’s founding documents. And yet, I have to admit, there are …
Maybe My Opinion Isn’t The Most Important Thing You may not be able to relate to this, but I need regular reminders to get over myself. I tend to think of my ideas, opinions, and viewpoints as “right” or “best,” instead of just seeing them as “mine.” When I convince myself that my way is the right, best, or only …
When my daughter was a toddler, one of my her favorite refrains was “I do it my big-self, Mommy.” It was a phrase that simultaneously made me happy (so proud!) and terrified (she’s not ready!). If you’ve spent any time around the preschool scene, you know toddlers can go from clingy to independent in an instant. It’s fun to watch …
I think there are times when I don’t give God enough credit. In fact, I’m sure of it. I forget there’s no such thing as a “self-made” Christian. I forget that God always makes the first move. God goes first, I go second. God reaches out, I respond. I rarely describe anything in the Bible as clear or plain, but …
One of the wonderful, but sometimes frustrating, things about the New Testament is how little biographical information it gives us about Jesus. The Gospel of Luke spans 18 years of Jesus’ life (from age 12 to age 30) by telling us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor” (Luke 2:52). This is reminiscent of …