“But I want it!” My five-year-old and I were having a discussion about what toppings she wanted to put on top of her waffle for breakfast. We did not see eye to eye. She frowned, rejecting my suggestions of peanut butter and bananas or even butter and maple syrup. She had a definitive opinion about…
Jesus’s Geneology
For the past several years, I have been captivated with genealogies. I want to know more about my ancestors and their stories. I want to know about the journey of life that led to today. So much life is often condensed between two dates – birth and death. And yet, those lives lived, the extraordinary…
What is Your Idol?
So, let me ask you…what is your idol? Or even who is your idol? Not in the sense of a celebrity crush or fandom scenario, but what is it that you chase after? Merriam Webster defines an idol as “an object of extreme devotion” and “a representation or symbol of an object of worship.” What…
When Jesus Shows Up
Do you ever doubt if God will show up for you when you need him most? Or do you wonder if he will be faithful for you in the same way you’ve seen him be faithful to others? If you do, you’re not alone. There is a part of me that has always had a…
Content with the Crumbs
I hate it when my children are sick. Hate it. I want so desperately to make them feel better, to take away their suffering. It is one of the most helpless feelings, that feeling a mother experiences is when her child is really ill. Moms, though, have the ability to turn those feelings of helplessness…
Hold My Hand
“Hold my hand.” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said that as a parent. It’s usually in a situation where I need my kids close to me. I love them, and I need them to trust me with their safety. That’s a lot harder to do when their hands are full of things…
“What are You Making?”
The first time I saw someone making pottery on a potter’s wheel, I remember thinking, “I could do that.” It looked so easy, so effortless. Subtle movements by the potter result in significant changes in the pot. A firm, yet gentle, touch gives shape to formless clay. Each movement is intentional, precisely done with the…
“No Spoilers Today”
It’s a bad habit I have, I’ll admit, when it comes to books and movies. I love spoilers. I love to know how the story ends before I get to the ending. Sometimes I find the suspense of not knowing how the story will end just too much, and I have to flip to the…
Beauty for Ashes
Why? It’s a question we often ask in the middle of pain. Why me? Why us? Why now? Why this? Why more? At some point in life, we all experience pain of some kind. And for those who have a relationship with Jesus, we often ask God questions. Where are you? Why did you…