2011

[bl]O[/bl]ur culture tends to group people. The church does too. We place everybody in these social categories. It’s our way of helping understand each other, even take care of each other. But I think sometimes this categorizing hinders true and authentic community. The kind where diversity makes us whole and more complete, rather than separate and different. The single life is one such category. We have this life track our culture places us on from a young age, and when people end up taking different paths either by choice or circumstances they can’t control, sometimes we’re not quite sure how […]

[bl]I[/bl] sit in front of the big screen and watch a story that is fiction, but truth pierces the conversations, behaviors and relationships. It could be real. About the time the white hands serve fried chicken to the one who should have been cooking and serving, I realize I am taking fewer breaths than normal. This holding in of emotion that is welling up inside of me. Emotion that has been caught, lying dormant in my chest for some time now. The women in character – the way they laugh and interact, struggle and survive – it reminds me of the […]

[bl]W[/bl]e call hospitality a gift. Some have it others don’t. A way of offering that some people are called to and others are not. Like teaching or preaching or healing. Here’s the problem: We’ve equated hospitality with hosting. The ability to have people in your home and serve them well is a gift. Some do this with ease, some do it because they have to, some because they feel called to. It’s an instinct for some, and for others it’s a learned way of living. And yet for others it’s awkward or exhausting or intrusive. This is what I want […]

[bl]T[/bl]oday I rise with a thankful heart. To be in the place God has me. To be with the people I love to be with. To worship with like-minded souls. To Clean a house that holds me so well. To parent children I adore. It’s one of those days where I want my eyes to capture it all. To see Him in all things. I want my mind to be clear of clutter. To think on all that he has gifted. And I want my heart to recognize this place of goodness. Because I know I won’t always be here. […]

[bl]W[/bl]e pull at the door, assuming it will open. But it doesn’t. A woman inside unlocks the glass door and opens it. We close at 6, she informs us. We had missed it by a moment or two. We accept her apology and turn around to leave. Not wanting to give up, my friend says, Shouldn’t we just tell her we know what we want and we can give her the exact cash for it? Why not, I agree. It’s worth a try. We return and this time we knock. The woman unlocks the door a second time and hears […]

[bl]I[/bl]t’s that time of year. We’re anticipating the coming Autumn. The heat has subsided a bit and the dark settles in sooner. Calendars are beginning to govern again, sleep schedules are shifting, and number two pencils are fully stocked at every Target and Wal-Mart. I’ve been purchasing books for discovering the Middle Ages. We have a year of art, castles, European and church history, Medieval times and Renaissance culture to look forward to. It’s also the time stores start tempting us with good sales because they know we’ll take the bait as we prepare for cooler weather. Old Navy had […]

It’s not just for your friends. It’s easy to open your door for the people you’re crazy about. The people who are like you. The people who will return the favor. The people who are fun to be with. But what about everyone else? What about the family who won’t have you over because they’re embarrassed about their home…or maybe they don’t even have one. What about the couple who is hard to connect with because the husband won’t engage in conversation? What about those who seem ungrateful for the sacrifice? Or the children who don’t stop to appreciate? Favoritism […]

[bl]I[/bl] have a new friend on Facebook. We’ve never met, but we understand a piece of one another’s heart because our feet have both walked the orange roads of Uganda. Our eyes have seen the same poverty, our arms have held orphans, and our hearts have felt the longing to fulfill the desperate needs of a culture looking for healing and development. My new friend was expressing her deep sadness in anticipating her departure from Uganda after a few months of serving and loving among those beloved people. My heart felt a sharp pain as I read her words and recalled […]

[bl]W[/bl]hen we bear fruit, the ways we can bless, the things we can make from it are countless. When God’s Spirit roots in us, dwells in us, and bears life in our heart and home, it carves out environments that are pleasing to others. Delightful to enter. Delicious to take part of. Be creative with the fruit you bear. Make good things of it. Strawberry Shortcake 1 qt. strawberries, chopped small ¼ c sugar In a bowl stir together chopped strawberries and sugar.  It will make it’s own sauce within an hour of sitting at room temperature. Biscuits 2 c […]

[bl]I[/bl]f we’re going to the people and places Jesus went, then we will find ourselves face to face with what seems like hopeless situations.  An impoverish continent of drought and famine, malnourished children, and dying parents who leave behind orphans with a grim future. An entire people group drowning in consumerism, suffering from a deep disconnection from the land, and placing false hope in treasures of the earth.  Countless individuals self destructing with drugs to numb pain and escape reality. A generation of children raised in a virtual world, held captive by screens. How do you begin to help any […]