One of my favorite scenes from The Hobbit is at the beginning of the story. Bilbo is comfortably ensconced in his hobbit-hole, safe in his routines, his full pantry, his book, pipe, and chair by the fire. Unexpectedly there is a knock on his door, and then another, and then another, and on and on. Into … Continue reading A Dangerous Business
You were the only two ever to know true paradise. What was it like to wake every morning with no fear at all, to go throughout your day with only joy, wonder, beauty, pleasure in your work? What was it like to know your man only in harmony, as your beloved, your best friend? Till … Continue reading Scared
“Watch to see where God is working and join Him.” Reading this sentence from Experiencing God as a bright-eyed college student excited me. Yes! Here I am! Pick me! Send me! My head was filled with visions of missionary work, maybe living in a hut, maybe toiling over a Bible translation late at night, maybe working … Continue reading Join
“I worry too much. Autumn trees ask me not to worry. They, like Jesus, suggest trust rather than worry. So often in autumn I want to go lean my head against a tree and ask what it feels like to lose so much, to be so empty, so detached, to take off one’s shoes that … Continue reading Listen
You stand between your people and a raging sea. An army chases you. The crowd shouts, demanding, panicked, angry. They wail. They accuse you. Yesterday you were their hero. Today you wonder if they might toss you in those frigid waves. You stand at the edge of a pit, looking down into deep shadows. Feline … Continue reading The Problem of the Gift
We ask hesitantly, in the dark, ashamed. We ask brazenly, shaking fists, enraged. We feel guilty. Or demanding. Or justified. We seem to think God is shocked at our why, taken by surprise. Perhaps a little miffed. But I wonder if this is true. Most of us have had experience with children asking endless whys. … Continue reading Why
Joining the Five Minute Friday writing community thanks to my friend Amy Taylor, who you can visit over here. Each Friday writers receive a prompt to write on for five minutes. A good exercise for someone like me, whose head is always full of words that seldom find their way to the screen, and whose … Continue reading Success = fear + hope
“God is good!” I said it a hundred times at least, standing in front of 160 kids at VBS. Twice each day we gathered and I led them in shouting, over and over, “God is good!” When life is unfair, God is good! When life is scary, God is good! When life is sad, God … Continue reading God Is Good, Blah, Blah
How easily we let You touch us, that night. Looking back, knowing what I know now, could I have let You? I don’t know. And yet, You would not be denied. I see you in the dim room, kneeling on the cold floor, face full of anguish. And we, bewildered, lifting our feet … Continue reading Maundy Thursday Reflections: On the washing of feet
My Lent devotional focuses this week on “temptation.” All the readings seem to emphasize one temptation in particular. Jesus didn’t really come to die for me. If I had been there, I would have never accused Him, never rejected Him. I would have been the one weeping. I would have stood aghast at the horror of … Continue reading The Greatest Lent Temptation–And Why We Must Face It
