Since my last post about suffering and grace, I have encountered two people testifying to Jesus filling empty places and wounded hearts until 'cavernous places' glisten with hope. I heard from an old woman in Washington State and a young man in Rwanda. Their stories of suffering are different: early widowhood and aging vs. genocide horror. But... Continue Reading →
When those we love suffer, our helplessness and compassion overflow in small expressions of care. We know our gift is nothing in the face of what our loved ones are going through - it cannot answer excruciating questions or heal wounds. But we bring these gifts anyway; we stand on the porch with a pot of... Continue Reading →
I had a wrestling match with an old enemy last week. It was shame, but at first I mistook it for conviction - a toxic mistake. So I am newly aware how vital it is for us to discern between the voice of shame and the voice of the Lord speaking conviction. Can you tell... Continue Reading →
I look into a New Year with its uncertainties: Will this happen? Will that?I ask Jesus to tell me what is coming, but rather than tell me what I believe I hear Him reminding Who - who He is and who He will be to me and those I love no matter what the future brings.In this way... Continue Reading →
Merry Christmas.Light is sweet, (Ecclesiastes 11:7).In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it, (John 1:4-5).I am the light of the world, (John 8:12).The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the... Continue Reading →
I have two images colliding in my mind today - the cosmos and the crèche. The sparks from this collision sear my heart with Jesus' words: "I judge no one," (John 8:15). Last Sunday our pastor displayed Hubble space telescope images. I gazed at swirls and bursts of infinite colorful stars, the beauty and glory splashed around the... Continue Reading →
I saw a picture of an Ethiopian "Bleeding Heart Baboon" and cringed to see the center of its chest open and red, the sides curving inward around the hole leading to his heart. Perhaps the picture is disturbing because it depicts a part of being human - the vulnerability of our hearts. Harsh words, failure, and rejection pierce our... Continue Reading →
I will be speaking at a small, quiet healing service this Sunday night; friends will come with broken hearts and broken bodies, hoping for a touch from Jesus. Why can we hold a healing service with hope that Jesus will heal? I will try to bless my friends in their hope by reminding them about the larger story we live. Our story began... Continue Reading →
The Deepest Love 