Lessons in Rest and Renewal from My Walk by the Lake
I first shared this blog post back in 2019. Life looked a lot different then. The kinds of busy and stressed I felt that year look a lot different – though not necessarily milder – than they do 7 years later. The lessons I learned that day at the lake have clung on during the years, with God gently reminding me to heed their wisdom. I hope they speak to you today, too. I like to see a lot happen in a hurry. I’m wired for productivity. An ordinary walk for me is usually spent multi-tasking – phone calls, podcasts, audiobooks. Today’s walk was different. I was reading…
Mary, mother of Jesus: Ready to Sacrifice [Advent]
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Wow. I would love to think I would respond to God like that whenever he asks anything of me. I know my heart posture isn’t always so quick to obey as Mary’s is in this retelling. And if the call was “miraculously conceive and give birth to a Messiah” – well, I honestly have no idea how I’d respond to that. Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would do just that demonstrates remarkable faith and readiness, despite the extraordinary nature of the news. She’s a powerful…
Simeon and Anna: Ready and Attuned [Advent]
During Advent reflections, I love when “side characters” like Simeon and Anna get a little attention. Though they don’t show up in nativity scenes, both elderly figures shared a deep faith and lifelong devotion to God. That devotion helped them be ready to speak when the Gospel Himself arrived. We meet both Simeon and Anna in chapter 2 of Luke, right on the heels of the shepherds’ story. Simeon is described here as “righteous and devout” and someone who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” He was sensitive to hearing from the Spirit of God, which is how he knew he would meet the Messiah before he died…
[Esther] Before You Are Ready To Speak – Are You Ready to Listen?
Last week, I mentioned Moses as an excellent example of what it means to be ready – able and available – to speak. Another great case study is Esther. Like Moses, Esther knew her people were oppressed and in danger. A decree had been passed to kill all the Jewish people in the land. She had to speak up to save them. In fact, as you read the book of Esther in the Old Testament (it’s only ten short chapters – and a fascinating read!), the fact that she needed to speak was clear. The message she had been asked to deliver was also clear. However, before…
[Moses] Before We are Ready to Speak, We Have to be Available
Let’s say you’ve got a GIGANTIC problem. And – lucky you – I happen to be the world’s foremost expert in solving that problem. And you’ve got my personal phone number. As the meltdown begins, you rush to your phone and call me. I’m the only one you know who knows how to fix it, and I am 100% capable of helping you do just that. Except I don’t answer your call. You hear that pleasant little voicemail recording: “The person at the number you dialed is unavailable right now.” I may have all the answers, but that’s absolutely unhelpful to you if I’m not available. That’s…
Advent: Reminders of Love for All
If you have attended church for any amount of time, you are familiar with John 3:16. It reminds us that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus. Not to condemn us. To save us. From sin, darkness, death, and evil. I find that tremendously reassuring this Christmas season. I especially appreciate this passage in The Message: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely…
Advent: The Presence of Peace
“How am I supposed to have peace when my life is such a mess?” “….when my child won’t talk to me?” “…when my loved one is gone forever?” “…when the world is so filled with darkness?” These are fair questions. I’ve asked them. You may have too. Or someone close to you has – or is asking them right now. In his Messianic prophecy, Isaiah foretold Jesus would be called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). In their majestic announcement of Jesus’s arrival, the angels proclaimed there would now be “peace on earth” (Luke 2:14). When Jesus was departing this earth, he left his disciples with this encouraging message: “I…
Advent: A Story of Hope
I thought and prayed a long time before deciding to write an Advent series again this Christmas season. You may know my husband David passed from this world to his eternal home on September 21st – just weeks ago. As I write, the grief is still fresh. It’s surreal. I keep thinking he’s going to call asking what’s for dinner…or if we could go to dinner. (We talked a lot about dinner!) At the same time, I’ve been thinking a lot about hope these past several weeks. “And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you…
