Tags Archives
in grace
How Can We Reclaim Joy?
When my daughter was little, she would present me with dainty bouquets—composed entirely of weeds. We lived in Portland, Oregon, at the time, and on our few and scattered sunny days, my mini-me would joyfully run through the grass, filling her hands with wispy dandelions and wild daisies. When she gave me her handcrafted bouquets, ...
Unlikely Women, Unusual Courage, Untold Rewards
Have you ever felt intimidated? Like someone in a higher position was giving you orders that didn’t feel right? At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced dictatorial behavior, whether from a teacher, parent, colleague, or boss. They’ve tried to use their power or position to rattle us into subservience. Thankfully, over time, most ...
The Real Answer to Procrastination
About half an hour into scrolling through amusing but irrelevant reels, my eyes glaze over, and my brain feels numb. When I look up from my phone, a familiar feeling creeps up on me: frustration. Once again, I’ve wasted more than 30 minutes watching clips of AI-generated babies making ridiculously incisive and somewhat inappropriate comments. ...
What I Learned about God — at a Mosque
As I tilt my head at a certain angle, I catch a glimpse of the shimmering domed ceiling. Though I want to linger, the crowd behind me feels overwhelming — I only take a moment to glance at the mosaic: Mary, robed in a deep blue, sits on a jeweled throne. She holds a young ...
A Holy Hunger, A Divine Discontent
Have you ever stopped in your tracks and thought, “Something’s missing… I’m not sure what it is,” and then, almost immediately, switched back to your routine?
Often, in the distractedness of the daily, we don’t stop long enough to understand why we’re restless or discontent.
In one of my favorite stories in the Bible, Jacob (Abraham’s grandson) ...
You Don’t Need to be Fruitful Right Now
As I scroll social media, scan bookshelves, and read my email, one theme pops up repeatedly: productivity. We’re all looking for ways to get the most out of our time. Being productive is often tied to our purpose. After all, God designed us to use our talents and skills. When He created Adam, God didn’t ...
What 20 Years of Marriage Has Taught Me
The hubbers and I celebrated 20 years of wedded bliss yesterday.
Okay, that’s not entirely true. While it’s been 20 beautiful years, it hasn’t been all bliss.
Like every married couple, along with the bliss, there’s been some blunders, bloopers, and, well, just plain brokenness (because that’s what marriage is: two flawed people coming together.)
Along with gathering ...
A Good Man: A Tribute to my Dad on his 80th Birthday
I remember crafting you a "poem" when I was eleven years old. It was your 45th birthday and I wrote this for you:
Born in ‘45
Today 45,
Half of 90
In the Year ‘90
You thought my poem was next-level brilliant. Like, Nobel Literature Prize worthy. Like, Shakespeare should be taking notes.
Thirty-five years later, you’re still the biggest cheerleader of ...
AI and the Christian (Writer): How Do We Use This “Tool”?
This Tuesday marked the 1000th day since ChatGPT’s release. Perhaps I live under a rock, but I started using this crazily smart, remarkably intelligent tool fairly recently. Yet, despite my late entry into the game, I quickly got mired in the quicksand.
As a writer, I asked it for synonyms. As a mom of a senior ...
MEET SUSAN
