I’ve been trying to figure out what to write about Mother’s Day because – I hope you know this – it’s on Sunday. And it’s going to be crazy in the wazoo. At least in my neck of the woods city because I have to: confirm the performances, remind Ms. J to buy the flowers, coordinate with […]
Someone to Boldly Go To
“If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the Lord ’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty” Leviticus 4:13. But if we sin and don’t realize it, we are still forgiven. With Jesus as our Savior, we don’t need to wait on ceremony; only have repentant hearts. I’m […]
Friendly or “Friendly”
I am socially awkward. I really believe that. Oh I can hack it. I can make myself be more outgoing. I can up the ante of excitement and openness. I know how to execute social graces. Because I’ve been trained. In school, in clubs, in church, I learned how to hack myself in social situations so I won’t […]
Penitencia
It’s been a week since I last blogged. Wow, that’s horrible of me. It’s simply been busy. That’s life. But when I wrote about Lent, I said I would tell you about the Penitencia. It’s one of my memories about Easter time. You can find pictures of it online by Googling “Penitencia Philippines.” But fair […]
2 Very Practical Ways to Prevent Ministry Burnout
On Monday, I wrote about calloused calluses, when our hearts harden and we become spiritually dull. And I mentioned that the author of Hebrews seemed to know about ministry burnout. Burnout is “the state of chronic stress that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, and feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment” (psychologytoday.com). […]
Bible Study: Hebrews 6, Calloused or Callused
Torturous wires taut across the neck, turning at the headstock, and slicing across the pads of a newborn guitarist’s fingers. The pianist inside me, trained in ramrod straight sitting and graceful keys lilting, protested at the intrusion of nylon and steel. It was too much, too painful, and I gave up before my fun manicured […]
A Hard Week to be a Writer
Words have the ability to hurt us or uplift us, and this week felt like being shot down with an arrow. Every hope, every dream, and every step forward suddenly felt unfounded, ridiculous, and unworthy of being pursued. It has taken me a long time to call myself a writer. Still, every, “What do you […]
