By our love

Brothers, let us come together,
Walking in the Spirit, there’s much to be done.
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love.
Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us.
We will come reaching, with a song of healing.
And they will know us by our [...]

Reminded…

That if I walk in step with my Father, I’ll get where He’s going right in time.
So often, I want to plan out the route in advance.  (You’d think I would have quit this by now; Candi’s been telling me for 6 years that “There’s no 10-year plan!”)  I can get stressed about who, what, [...]

Why?

Maybe someday, I won’t need the constant question.  For now, I need to reflect on the why of my actions, lack of action, and words often.  I’ve been challenged by Jesus’ example (as recorded in Luke of action motivated only by His Father’s purposes and love. 

vs. 21- He risks offending His earthly family to [...]

On duty and grace

The tiniest detail in which I obey has all the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it.  If I do my duty, not for duty’s sake, but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience the whole superb grace of God is mine through the [...]

Family Pictures

Last night, we had family pictures taken by a friend and photographer, Tara Malouf.  She was fabulously fun to work with, had tons of fun ideas, went with our fun ideas, and willingly laid down on the gravel repeatedly to get the right angle for a shot.  She’s put up a few on her blog [...]

Bicentennial…or not?

How long would you like to live, given the option of living forever?  I’m talking about life on earth- life in which the people you love die, and you just keep trucking.
I watched Bicentennial Man on Sunday night and wondered about the misery of such a life.  In the movie, an android (robot that looks [...]

Ooh…ah…fire!

We burned christmas tree #1 of 2 last night.  We all backed up, my dad lit it, and the flames went somewhere near 25 feet high.  The leaves of the tree were singed, and the heat was enough to keep us a fair way back.
After a few minutes, it looked more like Charlie Brown’s [...]

A year in review

I’m wondering what this review will hold.  I’m looking forward to finding the lessons that have been hidden until now.  I’m aware of the lack that will most certainly be revealed…and I’m ready to experience the grace of God in a deeper way than before.
He’s always been faithful.

Countdown: 1

This moment is from last Friday.  The subject is one of my second graders, a little boy with a heart of gold who was new to the school this year.  It took a bit of time for him to settle in, but he has become a great leader. 
Now, he’s moving on to an intermediate class [...]

Countdown: 2

Tomorrow is the last day of school.  Yesterday, I met my new kids and let those who are leaving me venture into the intermediate world of their next class for half an hour.
Today’s moment is yesterday afternoon, when I told the second graders where they would be going, got a good look at my class, [...]