2011

[bl]I[/bl]t’s the response of our flesh. The urges of our spirit. The appetites of our stomach seek satisfaction. The longings of our heart seek fulfillment. Hunger. It’s carnal and spiritual. We are a people who are continually emptied, body and soul, in need of continual replenishing. It’s the way we were created. So we would look to a provider. But in our fallenness, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to supply our own needs. Instead of upward, we look inward and outward for fulfillment. In fact, we don’t really even know what hunger is. At the first sign of it, we […]

[bl]T[/bl]hese are the images I came home to last night. After three days gone, these children, this husband, this home instantly brought comfort to my tired mind. This life. The one I live. It’s beautiful and colorful. And the life we witness right now. In this season, in this place. The one that surrounds us. It is also colorful. So vibrant. It hardly seems possible. The change happens so fast. From greens to deep golds, bright yellows, vibrant oranges, stunning reds. I stand in the middle of my yard wanting to soak up all the color. Because I know well […]

Is her. She is so full of life and energy and creativity. This picture displays her personality beautifully. Ruffled. In motion. Spontaneous. Arms open ready to receive. Not everyone, though. For she can be slow to love. But when she does, she loves deep. And she clings tight to moments of holding and snuggling and being together. Surely this is abandonment redeemed by togetherness. And her heart knows it. And needs it. My blond haired, blue eyed girl is the image of myself. This brown haired, browned eyed girl reflects my spirit. The spirit God breathed life into when her […]

[bl]M[/bl]y words are pouring into a study for an upcoming women’s retreat. And my thoughts are wrapped up in a situation that has me waiting for judgment and hopefully grace. So in order to be present in this virtual place, I want to re-post from my archives. May I always allow the past to speak into the present. Today, I need to be reminded of the Jesus I encountered in Uganda. For it is his presence that forms my words and helps me engage situations out of my control with truth and grace. See with me….again. [bl]I[/bl]n the quiet, I’ve […]

[bl]O[/bl]ur behavior and choices lead to natural and created consequences. Often, we’re able to reconcile with our actions, even the immediate outcome. But it’s the lasting consequences that shape our heart. That’s where we’re haunted with the reminder of our poor choices, our sinful nature. That’s where we’re held captive by our decisions. That’s where our pain motivates healing and reconciliation, or escape and deeper rebellion. How do we recognize grace in our consequences? When people don’t trust us because of past behavior, where is the grace? When we watch how our decisions deeply affect and hurt others, where is […]

[bl]W[/bl]e teach the young to speak words of kindness. The please and the thank you’s, the Mr. and Mrs. We correct their speech, help them choose appropriate words, and encourage politeness. What we’re doing is teaching them to talk and request kindly. But are we teaching them to really communicate? Better yet, do we know how to really communicate? Faithful communication and conversation is offering words of truth and receiving the words of another. Offering and receiving, the root of all hospitality. Even the tongue. What is it that we offer with our tongue? For Moses, it was a message […]

[bl]O[/bl]ur present struggles and tragedies quickly become our history. Events that shape us deeply, redefine us as individuals and community. Whether it’s bondage to a pharaoh or watching a sea part for your escape. Or entering battles unprepared and outnumbered. Or being persecuted because of who you believe in. Or enslaved because of the color of your skin. It’s the wars fought for land and rights. The sickness that swept through and brought death. The laws that kept us separate. The airplanes that crumbled buildings and stole life. These events will never go away. They are apart of our story […]

[bl]E[/bl]verything in me was building. It had been so for a few days now. It’s an emotional experience that seems out of my control. Like a monster is growing inside of me, feeding off my frustrations and irritations until it’s strong enough to take me over and use my body for its evil purposes. I’m not sure the children were exceptionally loud or argumentative. I just think I was exceptionally less patient and gracious. When Mark arrived home, I ran. Literally. I threw my running shoes on and headed down my driveway. Two darling toddlers attempted to follow me but […]

[bl]W[/bl]e all have them in our life. The people and commitments that keep us living on the fine line between gracious and graceless. They’re the things we feel called to. The people we are responsible for. The mission placed before us. The job we go to daily. We’re thankful for what’s been given to us. That God would entrust us with the responsibility. That he would call us to participate. And in our gratitude, our lips speak words of grace and our hands lift to praise. But these are also the things that empty us. Consume us. Leave us thirsty […]

[bl]T[/bl]wo years ago today at a local café in Jinja, Uganda Mark and I considered the things we never would have done had we not married each other. We hardly recognize ourselves as the Mark Manry and Lori Gresham that fell in love. God has written for us a story that has journeyed us through struggle, vulnerability, sacrifice and joy. Now after 13 years of marriage, we are so proud of one another and how we’ve surrendered ourselves to God’s mutual shaping process that must occur if a marriage is to mature and grow and thrive. Mutual shaping, it’s the […]