Loving God and Loving Others

It was a typical evening prayer time. What are you thankful for? Name five things.  Pause. Silence. Mumbling. The subsequent five things that were named all had to do with the five school subjects that were finished today. It ws supposed to be a simple end-the-evening routine question.  I can see how that's something to be thankful for, but there isn't more?  I was losing patience. Wow! I've been sowing these thankful seeds since they were born and they couldn't come up with more?  My patient husband, who had been silent,  was invited into the conversation because I was sure that at this point any additional comments from me would only serve to injure, not help.  We sat with our child, praying over him, asking Father to open his heart. Eyes to see the gifts. This has been the theme in my life, but it hasn't full taken root in my children's hearts yet. We are all on a journey.  Speaking promise and blessing over my son to...

I forgot an appointment today and it wasn't the first time it happened. A friend of mine had some time to coach me and in the moment (which is usually when it happens) I agreed. I didn't check to see if I had something else going on then. (which I did) But the Lord in His loving way, (how it usually happens), moved up our coaching appointment and though I forgot a friend was coming over, I am not falling over myself in apologies for having booked something else in its place. I feel forgetful these days. I try to set alarms on my devices to remind me, but I'm rarely around to hear the beep go off. I am an in- the- moment person who doesn't mind planning ahead, but I often make mistakes in my planning. What strikes me today is the tender love of the Lord. Some might call it disorganized (which I wouldn't argue with you on), but it's more than that. These moments are times when the Lord shows me in tangible ways that He is intimately involved in my life and that ...

I recently reset my home page to a generic page removing my news site from the first thing I see when I turn on my computer. It's not that I don't want to know what's going on in the world, but I found that the news didn't always drive my towards prayer which should be my response. I get more of a compact version of news over email these days and it has helped direct rather than distract me in my praying. Advent brought about deeper reflection for me on suffering and pain in the world, especially thinking about Christ's coming into a world very much like ours today.  My daughter is writing a point of view essay and we were discussing the criteria for her paper and possible topics. It's supposed to be about something that moves me, mom. She informed me in her sweet mature tween way. That launched us into a discussion about things that cause a heart-stir, a movement in our heart. We laughed about her brothers, yes, they move her sometimes in a good way, other t...

Awesome things you will show us in your righteousness O God our salvation. O hope of all of the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away. Psalm 65:5  It is too easy to get overwhelmed by all the things that aren't right in the world. Injustices in particular are difficult to swallow. The pain of my sister and her husband as they offer love and grace to their precious adopted children, one of them is fighting and doesn't want to be loved, friends wondering why the Lord hasn't filled their home with children yet, the suffering of the marginalized, the pain of those struggling to make it through each day, the homeless man at many of the corners of our city...  Without even realizing it I can easily carry the weight of the world on my shoulders so to speak, and I become burdened and sorrowful. This morning's passage reminds me afresh that God is our salvation and hope. The Father sent his Son to a world that was aching much like today's world. How does ...

Today didn't turn out as I expected. A series of morning appointments going longer than I had planned set my day on an unexpected trajectory. I felt the anxiousness rise as I realized that I wasn't going to get the things I needed to get done. "needed"... I realized that the "needed" list was perhaps a bit self imposed.  My days are often like that. I haven't checked in with the Lord about the things He wants me to do or finish. Seems I'm consistently reflecting on that. My own sense of effectiveness is measured by how many things I've finished. My sense of joy often is measured by how others perceive me. Are they pleased? I wonder.  Mixed up priorities. My eyes are so often stuck on myself and not on the Lord as it should be.  Forgive me, Lord. Yesterday's victories are gone and I'm faced again with another day filled with temptation to rely on myself and go about my day alone, without Him.  Needing to take tomorrow off to reflec...

I just spent a couple days away with my mom and sisters at a beautiful hotel overlooking the ocean. It was a gift of retreat, rest from the Lord. We haven’t gone away like this since before we had children which was many years ago, so we used the excuse of a birthday to get away together. It was a gracious gift from our husbands as well as they bore the weight of our children at home, my middle sister’s husband being extra gracious as they have just added 4 to their family through adoption. Life is busy and we knew this time was just as good as any other time. If we didn’t do it now we’d never do it. There’s something about that grabbing the moment, taking the opportunity because this one is a gift, way of living that I want to do more of. We have this moment and that’s all we know. We laughed and told stories, recounting the crazy things of this year. There have been some deep valleys of the past that we talked about, my sister retelling the horrifying story of ...

I was part of an audience that witnessed an amazing sunset last night. It was an amazing display of beauty that took my breath away. A painting done by God. The fiery colors of orange, red, and purple were stunning. The Creator of the Universe paints the sky each night and few of us are around to notice it. It's there, but many times there are things that are blocking its view. Sometimes it's the weather, other times it's busyness and heart burdens. Yesterday if hadn't been that the sunset was right out my window of the place I'm staying I would have missed it. A heavy burden was laid on my heart yesterday and I had a choice of what I was going to do with it. Some difficult words were said to my husband and I, ones that at first pass had the potential of being very hurtful. We had been talking the day before how we both wanted to grow in letting what others think and say about us not bother us so much. Little did we know we'd get to practice that right away. B...