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in grace
Are You Willing To Show Up?
Recently, in a conversation with a friend, I learned I had deeply hurt her.
It was not what I had done.
It was what I had not done.
When she was going through a traumatic experience in her life, I stayed safely tucked in my own warm, fuzzy world.
It was hard to hear her wounded words. I was ...
Thinking Theologically About Productivity
Until quite recently, I was a firm believer that 'productivity' was worldly.
As I looked critically around me, I found that people wore ‘busyness’ as a badge of honor. I, for one, didn’t want to get sucked into that trap of trying to prove myself through my performance. As a Christian, wasn’t I 'above' that?
I had bought ...
Why the Sinfulness of Sin Matters
Thirty years or so ago, I remember applying for my learner’s permit (the precursor to a driving license) at a dimly-lit office in Chennai, India.
We were ushered into a musty, dank room full of files. Test papers were distributed. No other information was dispensed. Before we could answer the test questions, however, the person in ...
Wabi-Sabi in the Word of God?
The other day, my parents, my two teens, and I enjoyed a sushi lunch at a Japanese restaurant in town. It was my first time there. Compared to some of the fancier restaurants with over-the-top decor, this place wasn’t as polished. The ambiance was relaxed. The vibe was laid-back. It felt like someone’s lived-in space, ...
Are You Content in Your Calling?
A few of us from my church are experiencing a hangover. Don’t be alarmed. We’re just dealing with the zombie-like state that comes from an intense week of volunteering at Vacation Bible School or VBS.
All week, about 30 of us cut, glued, baked, organized, sang, played, narrated, learned, prayed, laughed, protected, and shared our lives ...
Holy Week: Day 7—A Saturday That’s Silent
In this short series, we’ll spend a few minutes every day meditating on Jesus’ journey to the Cross. From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Day, this is a sacred week in the Christian calendar—a week that changed everything.
A Saturday That's Silent
Read: Psalm 13
You may have heard the popular phrase, “It’s Friday. But Sunday’s coming.”
That line beautifully ...
A Letter to My Son on His 18th Birthday
Hey kid,
We’re actually here.
The moment we cut those apron strings. The moment we launch you into the world. The moment you step into adulthood.
You may be ready. But guess what? Your mama’s not quite there yet.
When I wrote those letters to you back when you turned nine and thirteen, they were words I strung together ...
What does a Gas Cylinder have to do with Faith?
As I type this, there's a crisis unfolding in homes across India.
If the conflict in the Middle East continues, we will have to shut off our stovetops.
India imports most of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Middle East. Almost all Indian homes buy LPG cylinders, which fuel our gas stoves. At my home, every ...
Learning to be a “Friendtor”
By virtue of my “advancing years” (ahem) and because I’m seen as a leader at our church (primarily because my husband is an elder there), I’ve sometimes been labelled a “mentor.”
As I slipped into my 40s, younger women began to ask me to mentor them. I readily agreed. I wanted to help and guide them.
Then ...
MEET SUSAN
