I am over this school year. I am also officially over making lunches, washing school uniforms, driving to and from softball games, helping with homework, and basically anything else schedule related. Oh, and I’m definitely over the alarm clock and reminding my ten-year-old that she does, in fact, need a shower and, no, she can’t lie in bed for ten …
What next?
We’ve just celebrated Easter, and my body is still processing too many bags of Cadbury’s Chocolate Mini Eggs that found their way into my shopping cart at Target, CVS, and all other good stores I’ve visited in the past few weeks. While they tasted delicious, they’re not exactly the healthiest, and I seem to lack the willpower to consume only …
Will you Wash Feet?
hTe time had finally come for Jesus to leave this world. He knew it. And what did he do? He didn’t give a last-minute lecture. Instead, during dinner, he grabbed a bowl and started washing the disciples’ feet. After he returned to the table, he asked the disciples, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” Silence. The disciples …
Using Our Skills Wisely
These two passages reflect that God gives us all skills, and we can use them for the work of the kingdom. The Lord chose Bezalel and filled him with wisdom and understanding. He was gifted with knowledge and all kinds of skills to complete the work. Then we read of Jesus relating a story about a businessman who was going …
Bearing Others
I have lots of favorite stories in the bible. But these two are definitely on that list. I love that Aaron was given a breastplate made from the finest yarns, strung together with the purest gold, and covered with precious gems: carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, turquoise, lapis lazuli, emerald, jacinth, agate, amethyst, topaz, onyx, and jasper. Each of these gems represents …
Testing
“Don’t be afraid, just believe,” said Jesus to Jairus. His unspoken words were equally as loud––ignore everyone else, listen to me, don’t be afraid, just believe! Oh, if it was only that simple! God rained down bread from heaven and gave instructions on its collection. God also planned to use this to test to see whether his people would do …
When We Don’t Understand
This passage marks the first month of the first year for the Israelites. It’s marked with a celebration––a meal. But it also marks the night God passed through Egypt and struck down every firstborn, in both humans and animals. This is a hard passage to read. So many people and animals killed as a result of Pharaoh’s actions. I have …
What Exactly Does Being Gentle with Yourself Mean?
Recently, someone told me I have permission to be gentle with myself. It’s a common phrase and one I’ve used myself. I thought about what being gentle with myself might look like as I processed the hard times before our family. The world tells me “being gentle with myself” is an action: taking the day off work, snuggling under a …
Peace Does Not Necessarily Mean Quiet …
Sometimes I close my eyes and imagine my version of a peaceful home … the one where my youngest daughter is curled up on the sofa halfway through a reading book instead of one where I need to set a timer for her required thirty minutes of reading time. Sometimes when my kids are bickering, I worry they’ll end up …
The Gentleness of God
We’ve had some hard news. And a loved one has had some even harder news. My husband is with our extended family, and he’s five thousand, three hundred, and forty-seven miles away. And, I’m back at home looking after our kids. Because of this news, we’ve become fully-fledged members of the sandwich generation––caring for elderly relatives and young children. I …