The God winks are so evident. This morning, I awoke before sunrise, and the soft rain created a lovely backdrop for my Advent morning, which was focused on patience and endurance. The emphasis was on waiting on the Lord and appreciating the beauty that emerges during that wait. Just like a farmer who patiently awaits…
Category: Soul Work
His Work
Finding Strength Through Faith at Christmas
December 10, Wednesday, Advent: Isaiah 40: 25-31 There is so much wonderfulness in this passage. Christmas is a beautiful time of the year that brings excitement, togetherness, celebration, and travel. It is a time of reflection and gratitude, as well as a time of joy. Within this joy, there is the pain of loss and…
Embracing a Garment of Praise in Difficult Times
What does it mean to trade our sorrows for a garment of praise? “To grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit” (Isaiah 61:3, ESV) In ancient times, garments often reflected a person’s emotional…
Grow Old Along With Me
We often hear two seemingly contradictory calls in our quest for a meaningful life: “Learn from your past!” and “Live in the present moment!” It’s easy to feel caught in a tension between looking backward and looking forward, between reflection and pure presence. But what if these weren’t opposing forces, but rather two indispensable currents…
Believing Without Seeing: A Journey of Faith and Love
Advent continues, and Parish and I had time to listen together and discuss. The passage is from Matthew 9:27-31. Jesus heals blind men who cry out to him. They follow him into the house, and Jesus heals them. The question we discussed was how to relate our lives to that of the blind man. We…
Moments of Grace: Finding God in Daily Life
My husband and I decided to do Advent together using the Pray as You Go App. It’s such a wonderful experience with worship music, a passage, and reflection questions. The nice thing about the app is that we can listen at our own time and schedule, then chat later by text or in person. I’m…
Lessons from Advent: Embracing Life’s Transitions
Today is the first day of Advent. Advent is the anticipation and waiting for the coming of Christmas and the coming of Jesus. The word “Advent” originates from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” “approach,” or “arrival.” It is derived from the Latin verb advenire, meaning “to come to.” In Church Latin, adventus specifically referred to…
Intentional Living: How to Expect and Embrace Blessings
Expect a blessing. That was the topic of the article I read as we prepare for the holiday season. Instead of counting our blessings, the author encouraged us to expect a blessing. I was chatting with a friend. I was curious to see how she would answer some questions in my new daily planner, and,…
Embracing God’s Relentless Pursuit
The presence of God is a profound mystery. He goes before us: Deuteronomy 31:8: NIV: The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. He is present at all times, past, present, and future: Psalm 139:5 You hem…
Living Stones
My father wrote a book titled “The Man Called Jesus.” I was thinking of his story from the perspective of the thief on the cross, as well as the exchange between him and Jesus from the cross. My study with Kristi McLelland emphasized the “we culture” in the early Church and the importance of viewing holiness in…
ARRESTED BY GRACE 