My favorite jeans are starting to cut into my waist in an uncomfortable way. The grocery order keeps getting delayed when we’re already out of milk. The dog has gotten into the trash again. My kids carry individual sadnesses I can’t fix for them. It’s rainy and cold. My hip aches at night sometimes. People…
I remember listening to a radio program a few years ago wherein the host was reading the results of a survey of university and college professors from around the world. I found one of the results really interesting. Although they couldn’t put their finger on it, the vast majority of these professors felt that the…
Growing up in Florida, I never experienced four distinct seasons. When I migrated north in my late thirties, I quickly realized I did not care for snow, but I was captivated by the daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths that seemed to burst from the ground just as the snow melted. It still fascinates me that, after…
If you stay in church long enough, you’re going to experience conflict. You may be disillusioned by a particular denomination. A pastor might disappoint you. Decisions by church leaders will cause discord. Another church member will disturb you. It’s bound to happen, because the group of believers the Bible calls the “body of Christ” is…
I grew up in a world with a lot of theological certainty and rigidity. We had rules and labels for everything. We were Reformed Christians who believed in purity, patriarchy, and the proper way to dress on Sundays. People who weren’t like us were pagans or heathens or liberals or misled or, of course, feminists….
This month marks a year since our lives changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout these twelve months, we have regularly talked as a family about naming the good things: the time we’ve had together (so much time), the sourdough bread my daughter made, budget savings in several categories, and so on. As vaccinations continue…