You know the scene—the one with harmful words. A character is talking about a boss, a coworker, or an acquaintance behind their back. Her intent isn’t good; her words are unkind. Yet she (or he) feels safe. The subject of this rant isn’t there and will never hear the words being spoken. She just needs…
A retired pastor in our congregation often proclaimed, “God is so kind.” When Pastor Chuck died last year, my husband, Daryl, adopted the phrase as his own, a tribute to his mentor and friend. “God is so kind,” he says, watching the plants in our garden beds sprout in the backyard, tucking our sons in,…
Donald Trump may just leave this country better than he found it. These are words I never thought I would put on paper. In the wee hours of the morning of November 9, 2016, I wept. I could not sleep. I felt like I had awakened to a hazy fog. How could this have happened?…
What were your first words this morning? Maybe you greeted each person with a soft and sleepy salutation. Maybe you woke to a wide-eyed toddler peering over your bedside, wanting breakfast. You asked if she wanted to climb up and sit with you a few minutes. You helped her onto the bed, hoping she would…
The sun was bright in the clear blue sky, and my good mood would have reached the clouds had there been any. It almost seemed a shame to grocery shop on such a pretty day, but company was coming and the cupboards were bare. I wound my way around the market filling my cart until…
Matthew 22:36–39 (NIV) says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” The first and greatest commandment is…