Here we go again, you might say, another lesson on gratitude. Strangely, though, despite that many times I've studied the topic, there's something I've been missing: There's a powerful connection between gratitude and powerful living. See, I've been listening to my conversations lately, and the words I hear myself speaking are not pleasant. Complaints. Impatience. Annoyance. Worldly … [Read more...]
Don’t Run From Suffering
This collage contains my all-time favorite pictures of Joel. Did I say all-time favorite? I LOVE THESE PICTURES! I laughed out loud in the middle of Walgreen's as I thumbed through my order. I have Joel's sister, Sarah, to thank. She shot them in Gatlinburg, outside the Mellow Mushroom restaurant, where we'd just had some of the best pizza we'd ever eaten. We were on vacation in the Great Smoky … [Read more...]
The Most Beautiful Worship… And How You Can Experience It, Too!
I have a confession: I’ve been struggling during my worship service lately. If that sounds strange, please let me explain … From a very early age, I have known that I was created to worship the Lord through song. I knew as a child in elementary school, singing with the children’s choir during church services. In 7th grade, I sang my first church solo. I can clearly remember standing … [Read more...]
A Man and His Vacuum
We bolted into the store so quickly that I thought Max might pull the handle right off the door. He was on a mission, but I had one too. My job was to size up the clerk. I looked across the store and saw a rather serious looking older man wearing a black suit and standing behind the counter. This is not going to go well, I thought. We would do much better in a store like this with a clerk who … [Read more...]
The Length of Love
Love has no dimensions. It cannot be measured, boundless as it is. But I have felt lately that perhaps length is the best of all love’s rough estimates. What are the lengths to which someone goes for love? How long does love last, how far through difficulty will it carry us? How far behind us will it trail after we’ve left this world behind? What is the length of love? I give up nearly every … [Read more...]
The One Thing I Do Each Day to Stay Strong (And What Watching “The Middle” Has to Do with It)
You and I are in a battle and the stakes are high. A parent of a child with a special need faces overwhelming demands each day. There are therapy needs, educational needs, social needs… and these are just the needs of our child! We must also take care of our own adult needs including maintaining our home, our marriage, and our health... and more. We also have an enemy who would like nothing … [Read more...]