Confidently Humble
Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. (Proverbs 22:4 NIV) I tried writing about many-a-topic for this week’s FYI. I started something about lonely moms, tried the importance of intergenerational church living, and even considered something starting off talking about the crazy high grass pollen levels that make me feel like I’m perpetually floating. But alas, the one thing that keeps coming to my mind is the super popular concept of humility. I just have to write about it. Maybe this will end up being what...
read moreGod Bless Orpah
But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16 NASB) Yes, the title is spelled correctly (although God bless Oprah, too!). Orpah was a young widow. She married an Israelite man named Chilion, who had taken refuge in Moab with his parents and brother during a famine. But disasters struck, leaving Orpah, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Ruth all widows. Widows are notorious...
read moreWhat If It’s Not a Character Problem?
“…your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8b NIV) I have a really short temper, which got a lot shorter after our second baby was born. I would yell or cry for no reason, hide in the bathroom to be alone, fantasize about running away. When even my incredibly patient husband said one day, “I don’t know how much longer I can live like this,” I knew something had to change. I began going to weekly counseling. I reduced my job to part-time, then quit altogether. I hired help with cleaning and cooking at various times. I...
read moreLiving Like a Martha
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not...
read moreRolling with the Changes
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2 NIV) To put it mildly, the last year plus has been unlike any other time I have lived through. Changes have been abundant in the routines at home and work that shape the way I operate. And like most everyone else, many familiar surroundings have given way to isolation in wake of the COVID pandemic, often challenging my ability to stay focused and maintain a positive outlook. When Thea was born almost a year ago(!), time to myself became...
read moreSeeking Stories
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 NASB) I like to drive around. As I’m driving, I see people everywhere. On 166th Ave, two girls are pushing bicycles up the hill. A tall person all in black with hood and mask is striding down the hill. On 85th, a person with straggly hair and beard is driving a motorized wheelchair. I don’t know their stories. On 520 east to...
read moreRebuilding the Temple
I recently read a fantastic book called Return to Me, by Lynn Austin. It chronicles the end of the Israelites’ captivity in Babylon, from the perspective of the prophet Zechariah. The king of Persia decrees that the Israelites are free to return to Jerusalem, rebuild their temple, and worship their God, after 70 years of being held captive in a foreign city with a foreign culture and foreign gods. There was rejoicing and relief! Shouts of joy and praise! They had not been forgotten by the Almighty God! They could return to the land where the...
read moreAs Outsiders to Outsiders
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ… Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. (Ephesians 4:2-3, 5 NASB) Last Sunday, nine Creeksiders—six adults and three rambunctious young boys (all related)—went prayer-walking in the neighborhood around Creekside’s property on 173rd. Pastor Mark advised us to conduct ourselves with...
read moreUsing Good Words
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV) Well, the time has come. We need to really clean up our act and focus hard on what words we let out of our mouths. By we, I mean Dan and me, especially as parents, in front of our children. One of them (you can guess which, since one is almost 4 and the other is almost 1) has learned how to use one of my “favorite” phrases for when I’m frustrated. Eep! I...
read moreOF, Not IN
At the end of a year in which there were many sorrows, I hope you enjoy this post from an old friend, originally written in 2016. “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV) I really dislike it when someone corrects me on the basis of semantics. Especially when I’m on roll and use the wrong word or tense and someone interrupts to point out my mistake. If you’d ever like...
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