Women of Worth Look closely at the women listed in Matthew’s first chapter - the lineage of Christ. What do we find? An impeccable pedigree? A flawless family? A royal ancestry?  Not in this narrative. Instead we are greeted by: a barren and unloved sister wife; a betrayed and abandoned twice-widowed revenge-seeker; a sexually sinful woman; a military wife turned widow with infant loss; a displaced and childless widow. These rhythmic lines which begin Matthew’s gospel remind us it’s not the past or the present that brings meaning to our stories but His presence.  God bestowe ..read more

It’s not supposed to be this way... I chose to revisit one of my favorite books yesterday.  (Love Lysa’s story!) And my whole heart resonates with her words - Yes! It is NOT supposed to be this way!  In the world we once knew, today was supposed to be the first day of school.  A new year at new schools, filled with new friends and new possibilities. Instead, what we are staring at looks stale and disappointing.  Like boring left-overs when we wanted to try that new, popular restaurant.  Virtual schooling at home was what we were thrust into towards the end of last s ..read more

Today I'm featuring a guest post - by a guest who hasn't made it onto my blog yet.  My husband!  For those who don't know him, in addition to being a handsome husband & fantastic father, he also holds a Bachelor's in computer science and a Master's in theology.  Translation: he is smart and has a lot of Bible knowledge! Tim has served as a youth pastor, a US Army chaplain. He has also worked as a computer programmer and is now employed as a system administrator. Here is his blog on "The Glory of God". The first mention of the appearance of the glory of God is found in the story of the Ex ..read more

Elijah and Elisha.  At times their coupling in the Old Testament appears twin-like. Even down to the spelling and pronunciation of their names.  Like the old DoubleMint gum, they resembled two prophets for the price of one.  Elijah was Elisha’s mentor and they often traveled and ministered together.  In 2 Kings chapter 2 (catching on to all the two’s??) we see the bittersweet and miraculous end of the Elijah/Elisha era as they quite literally part ways.   Elijah knew that his “time had come”. He makes 3 attempts to separate from his mentee, all of them unsuccessful.  Elijah tells Elisha to ..read more

The soil beneath my gloved hands felt loose, tender, and cool.  It felt good to turn over the dirt in that clay pot. I churned and aerated its contents.  The smell was earthy, its color black. It held moisture and promise.  I dug my hands in, filled my palms, lifted them up, and let the dark particles fall back into their container.  And instantly I remembered how much I look forward to this springtime ritual of sewing in soil.  There is nothing quite like the comfort and thrill of gardening.  This spring season, my gardening efforts were small. They consisted of 2 small pots near our back doo ..read more