Ever wish for more hours in your day?
Late in the evening, after the work and chores and duties and responsibilities are finally done, do you ever look back with a wistful sigh and think how nice it would be to have time for stillness? Maybe take a bubble bath, do a little reading, sit quietly, spend some extra time with Jesus….
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As a kid, Memorial Day meant the unofficial start of summer, promising long days of sunshine and books and bike rides and sprinklers and homemade ice cream and swing sets and going to the lake and grilled hot dogs and staying up late….
Do you remember those precious, unhurried days where you could play to your heart’s content?
There’s something to the art of play—of tapping into carefree creativity and imagination that makes time fade. You look up and it’s been minutes or hours, you don’t know which, because you’re fully engaged in the joy of this moment.
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Ever feel the path God has you on is taking longer than you expected?
Life and family and business and relationships can look different than we thought — and take more time than we realize. It’s important in this adventure we’re on with Jesus to let Him teach us important truths about grace rhythms in daily life.
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Are you closing the chapter named “2020” with a happy sigh of relief too? The God of All Grace knew what this past year held. And He’s deeply invested in where we’re headed next. So as we turn the page to a new year, let’s take a moment to ask…
Who is God inviting me to be in 2021?
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Are you surprised, too, that summer’s arrived? Summertime can sometimes make us feel like kids freed from school–ready to stay up late, play outside, eat ice cream, watch movies, and ask each other a hundred times a day, “What do you want now?”
It’s an interesting question – “What do you want?” To answer honestly, you have to be in touch with the true you, deep inside, and what she truly desires. Answering “What do you want?” means trusting your heart.
And that can prove tricky, especially if we’ve been taught good Christians have “desperately wicked” hearts (Jer. 17:9), instead of beautiful, wise hearts made new through salvation in Christ. (Ezek. 36:26; 2 Cor. 5:17)
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When you looked in the mirror this morning, what did you see? A person with shortcomings and rough edges? Someone who has a loooong way to go before she measures up? A gal who struggles most days with feeling “not enough?”
You’re not alone, my friend. Most Christian women struggle with the “not enough” epidemic.
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As I flip through the pages of Real Simple (May 2019), I make it as far as pg 10, “The Editor’s Note,” where Leslie confesses she is a recovering chronic apologizer. Which is why she loves this issue’s essay feature: “Women on what they no longer apologize for.”
Color me intrigued! I flip to page 126 and read all seven articles, right in a row. Sweet confessions of women no longer apologizing for things like loving cats or hitting the snooze button or being vulnerable.
I’ve been a chronic apologizer for much of my life too. Many of us are.
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Have you ever noticed that religion often teaches us to hide?
You can hide your sorrows behind “God is good.” You can hide your anxieties behind “Casting all your cares.” You can hide your burnout behind “godly Christians spend and are spent for Jesus.”
But when you hide, eventually a deep ache grows inside. You may squash your longings and shield your true feelings until you’re not quite sure who you are anymore.
It was a gorgeous day – the kind of day that begs to be enjoyed. The sun shone brilliantly and all of the trees in the front yard beckoned in the breeze. This was the kind of perfect Saturday people pray for, and I’d been hoping for this day for a long time.
Oh, I had big plans–plans I’d been making for days. Plans to conquer and create. Plans to let the clock run unheeded. Plans to be outdoors from dawn to dusk. My eager anticipation had reached the epic heights only an 8-year-old mind can envision.
But sadly, on this oh-so-perfect day, instead of climbing trees and conquering imaginary foes, I was curled up on my favorite blanket in the hallway by the bathroom. Continue reading →
Isn’t it interesting how words come to mean something?
Like “Babe,” for instance. When I was little it meant a tiny infant. When the movie came out, it meant a pig. And when you get married and hear it from your hubby’s lips, it means you!
Somewhere along the way “grace” has gotten a reputation for being soft and comfortable — kind of like being snuggled by so many adorable puppies.
But grace is much more than that – especially when she travels with her favorite companion, Truth.
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