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Tag Archives: grace
Reflections on a Long Absence from God
(I wrote this the Saturday after the children and grandchildren left on Friday) Today I feel like a young wife returning home after a long trip, a long absence and abstinence from her husband and lover. My five grandchildren (7, … Continue reading
Fire in the Bones
When babies are baptized, they are often startled by the cool water and cry out. Much like us, we feel uncomfortable when God’s mercy falls in strange ways. On Pentecost the Spirit fell and all were stunned. When Christ promised … Continue reading
Engaging Motherhood: Heart Preparation for a Holy Calling
Several years ago I had the privilege of writing a book with several other women. We came together to brainstorm. “From our experiences, how can we help prepare a woman for the journey of motherhood? What does she need to … Continue reading
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Tagged adoption, grace, help for moms, Mother, motherhood, new moms
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The Whipping Post
I am hard on myself. I judge myself with too many oughts, shoulds and less-thans, especially when I’m in a new phase of life—the birth of a child, moving with boxes everywhere, illness, a new job, or a new age. … Continue reading
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Tagged beating, failures and faith, faith, grace, hope, justification, lashing, mercy, righteousness, self-abuse
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The Vinedresser’s Kiss
When my husband and I went to Sonoma Valley in early summer to visit vineyards and taste wine, the vines were already filled with clusters of round, green grapes waiting to mature in the summer sun. Long wire trellises ran … Continue reading
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Tagged Christ, faith, Fruit, God's Love, grace, humility, Jesus, love, The Cross, Vines, Vineyards
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Pentecost—It’s Not Your Average Sunday
It’s Pentecost Sunday. I promised myself several things about Pentecost this year and failed in every one of them. I don’t want to just blow off that fact, but I am reminded on this day, that I don’t live under … Continue reading
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Tagged boldness, forgiveness, grace, Holy Spirit, mercy, Pentecost, power, the Law, the law of Moses
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Divergent
I’ve been reading the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. I highly recommend the books. In the books, the world is divided into several factions. Each faction is ruled by its own wonderful but narrow set of values: knowledge, peace, bravery, … Continue reading
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Tagged Christian, Church, divergent, ecumenical, faith, glory, grace, The Body of Christ, worship
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The Lord Longs to Be Gracious
My vision is small. It grasps only what my imagination can conceive or what my heart can hold. To imagine the unimaginable is, well, unimaginable. The Lord longs to be gracious to us in ways we can’t comprehend. He wants … Continue reading
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Tagged faith, grace, gracious, hope, Impossible, sorrow, suffering, unbelievable, vision
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Refusing to Make Resolutions
It’s New Years Day—about 1:00 a.m. to be exact, and I’m being tempted to make resolutions. I rarely succeed with New Year’s resolutions no matter how determined I feel on January first. For years I lived by resolutions and determination … Continue reading
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Tagged change, faith, forgiveness, grace, hope, mistakes, New Year, New Year's Resolutions, obedience, resolutions, resolve, sin, walking with God
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There’s an interesting scene in the book, Alice in Wonderland. In the scene there is a blue caterpillar sitting on a mushroom smoking from a hookah pipe; he’s quite a mellow fellow. Alice, who is only three inches high, is … Continue reading
An Invitation to Wonder 