Tag: grace
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Grow in Grace
As a new mom, a friend of mine regularly reported sleeplessness. Sipping hot drinks while her infant alternated between fussing and sleeping, she told me how it had occurred to her one late, loud night that her baby was doing his job: He was growing. The sweet little guy didn’t understand what was happening as…
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When Sin Trails Behind Us
The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. –1 Timothy 5:24 Paul made this small but vivid remark at the end of a letter to his younger friend, Timothy. The wisdom has stuck in my mind. Sin on the Flashing Sign There…
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The Grace of Choices
“It’s no big deal,” I told myself and others when I failed to make edible bread- again. On the one hand, it wasn’t that big a deal. Whether I’m an excellent bread-baker or not doesn’t affect much in my daily life. But on the other hand…I stopped trying to bake bread. A handful of failed…
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Grow in Grace
As a new mom, a friend of mine regularly reported sleeplessness. Sipping hot drinks while her infant alternated between fussing and sleeping, she told me how it had occurred to her one late, loud night that her baby was doing his job: He was growing. The sweet little guy didn’t understand what was happening as…
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Don’t Quit Praying When It’s “Over”
We pray before we eat. Before our days begin. Before we go to sleep. Often, we pray before big events and decisions. We pray as loved ones face difficulties. But we don’t have to stop there. We can keep praying after. God doesn’t say “cease praying” after the test results suggest the worst or the…
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When Sin Trails Behind Us
The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. –1 Timothy 5:24 Paul made this small but vivid remark at the end of a letter to his younger friend, Timothy. The wisdom has stuck in my mind. Sin on the Flashing Sign There…
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To The Wanna-Know-It-Alls
“I don’t know.” You say it when someone asks you to do something and you aren’t sure how to answer. The words are uttered in annoyance by kids everywhere as parents inquire about homework, grades, and missing toys. “…Anymore” is tagged on when tragedies strike and we’re left in shock. Feelings of doubt, loss, vulnerability,…
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It’s Not Me, It’s You (And That’s Okay)
“It’s not me, it’s you….” The bad breakup line always seemed so unfair. It’s been my habit to live life assuming there’s always something I can do…some level of responsibility I have to take if I’m truly loving. But over the years, I’ve met the people-pleasers dilemma: some people aren’t pleasable. Living this truth has…
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Starting Well Means Growing In Grace
When we got married one of our premarital counseling activities was sitting down with my in-laws to ask a few prescribed questions. One question went something like “what’s something you learned when you started out that has been valuable?” My mother-in-law answered: “It was actually about parenting. Someone told me to never punish a child…
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Do Your Excuses Dishonor the Lord?
“Make the most of every opportunity” Ephesians 5:16 says. “Always be ready to give the reason for your hope” 1 Peter 3:15 exhorts. When we think of having an opportunity to witness to others about the Lord, we tend to assume we’ll be sharing because someone else is down or because someone notices something wonderful in our lives. But…