Highlight of the Week
SABBATH HAS ALWAYS BEEN the highlight of my week. When I was a child, my mother took care to create a special atmosphere on Friday evening, at the very start of the Sabbath hours. As the sun set, casting its brilliant hues of magenta and purple across the horizon, Mom would light our Sabbath candles and Dad would choose a CD of calm, quiet music to set the tone for worship.
It's the Small Things
I BUY MOST OF MY GROCERIES at our local Walmart. Last Monday, I took my weekly excursion. I parked my truck and headed toward the store.
Who's in Control?
MY DAUGHTER WANTED HELP with ninth-grade algebra. But I just didn’t feel like reviewing all that with her. Can’t she do it herself this time? I thought.
The Addiction Nobody Talks About
ADDICTIONS ABOUND IN TODAY’S world. Alcoholism, drugs, tobacco, sex. But there is one addiction nobody wants to talk about. In fact, few want to admit that they are addicted to it or that they have a problem with it. And yet I have found that it is perhaps the most pervasive addiction that exists—in liberal circles, in the most conservative circles, among young and old. The addiction is gossip.
You Are Not Alone
MY JOURNEY AS A PASTOR’S SPOUSE began over 20 years ago. I was young, naïve, and a bit of a dreamer. I thought the possibilities of serving God alongside my husband were endless. As they say, the sky was the limit.
Learning to Trust God
MOST OF MY LIFE I have felt I wasn’t good enough. When I became a leader of retreats or spoke in public, I was consumed with fretting and worry. But one day at a prayer conference, God literally moved my thumb and started changing my heart.
Stand on the Memories
When problems only multiply and crises are exploding, what do you do? Let me share a few of my failed remedies through the years. For endless frustration: Scream. For depression: Eat ice cream, a large bag of chips, a box of chocolates—maybe all three. Or watch movies on TV. For fear: Accept it’s hopeless and stay in bed as long and often as possible. When crying out for help: Call a friend, daily if needed, to bemoan my constant torment.
What Does the Lord Require of Me?
I don't spend a lot of time wondering what people think. Well, I do care a little. But it’s not the first thing on my mind. That’s nothing particularly saintly; in fact, I’ve been known to cause those around me much anxiety at times.