The Beginning of Love
“The beginning of love for the brethren is listening to them.” Dietrich Bonhoffer Don’t you love when a friend asks a really good question? One that makes you pause and think more deeply? And don’t you love it even more when she listens well, waiting patiently as you ponder and process your answer? You feel […]
Open to Reflection
My eight year old believes he knows the answers to everything. He assumes that his gut reaction is right, and he is the constant naysayer in our family. Often my husband and I are left frustrated, wondering how we can instill in him humble, thoughtful reflections. We want him to grow into a mature, levelheaded […]
When a Relationship Makes You More Holy than Happy
In my first year of marriage, I was watching several other marriages close to me fall apart. My therapist was helping me work through this (Yes, I said T-H-E-R-A-P-I-S-T. If you’ve never tried one, I highly recommend a dose of Life Processing Assistance.) Anyway, my therapist recommended I read the book Sacred Marriage by Gary […]
Are You Still So Dull?
There was a time when I fancied myself a front-row sitter. On Sunday evenings I’d hop on down to that youth group room and place myself front and center, ready to lead worship or pray aloud at a moment’s notice. With a lifetime of Sunday school under my belt, I was fairly sure I knew […]
Got a Decision to Make?
A glorious side benefit of being a coach trainer is knowing lots of gifted life and leadership coaches. So when I am circling round and round in a particular thought pattern when trying to make a decision, a chat with a coach tends to knock loose whatever mode of thinking I’ve been stuck in. But […]
The Answer to All the Questions
I’ve always been a question asker, a seeker of knowledge. I hunger and thirst for answers, for insight, for understanding. And this question-asking has often served me well, for questions can lead to a greater awareness of God or of His cosmos or of the human creatures He so lovingly tends. Questions can lead to […]
Handing Out The Questions
I was on the plane flying back to the U.S. I floated in and out of napping, daydreaming and glancing at the movie. In six days I was scheduled to give an ‘update’ on my year in Asia. I’d been given one hour. Oh my, one hour. Such face to face moments are precious. I […]