70 Years of Small Moments

They walked slowly back to the car. He had a bit of a limp, one hand holding a cane and one hand holding hers.

I watched as he lifted her wrinkled hand to his lips and she smiled in his direction.

I held back tears of gratitude as I witnessed the tender moment.

They've been holding hands for seventy years now.

Making Bible Time a Priority

My alarm clock went off at 6:15.

In my drowsy, half-asleep state, I recognized that it really wasn't unreasonably early or anything, and that the morning sunshine was starting to infiltrate my cozy bedroom.

But, well, if I'd walk the dog for five fewer minutes, I could hit that snooze button... so...

Five minutes turned into ten minutes turned into twenty-five minutes, and now I had to get up or I'd be late for work, and the poor dog was probably in the entryway doing the "potty dance."

And once again, my Bible sat in the living room, unopened.

What Good Is Jesus? A Book Review

They fold their hands to pray; friendship bracelets, colorful elastic hair ties, and beat up watches adorning their wrists. As I lead them in a quick closing prayer, I can’t help but wonder if my wisdom, limited and learned the hard way, is even making a difference to them.

After all, the span of ten years between us seems a really far gap to bridge. They never knew a time without Facebook, or even with internet that made that “bee-boo-bee-boo, rrrrrrrr” sound as it connected.

As we talked in our discipleship meeting, I was a little stunned and very impressed with the knowledge, the eloquence, of these five eighteen-year-olds. I remember eighteen as bumbling and unsure, but these young women have been asked for their opinions and thoughts since they could type. And they know what they want.

They want to make a difference. They want to learn to serve. They want something more and bigger and meaningful.

They want to know why Jesus affects their lives. What good is Jesus, anyway?

When Reading the Bible is Boring

Original Image used with permission- Source

I grew up with the Bible. It's a blessing to me- a gift my parents were able to pass on- that my basic understanding of the Bible began in early childhood.

I remember the flannel boards with Bible character cut outs that my Sunday School teacher used to act out the story of Zaccheus. I remember sitting with my dad at supper on Sundays and talking about the Bible verses the pastor talked about in church. The Bible was a part of my childhood.

As an adult, though, I sometimes feel like I've got it down. Been there, done that. What's the point of going back and reading something I've read a hundred times before?



For many people who have grown up in the faith, the Bible seems like it's lost some of it's potency. Like the story of Cinderella or the Three Little Pigs, we know it pretty well by heart and what more could we possibly learn? It's old news.


We know better than that, of course. The Bible is a living document.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.- Hebrews 4:12

So, how do we fight against that "been there, done that" feeling? How can we keep the Bible from seeming... boring?

Blessings this Week: 06.17.2016 Edition

There's been a lot of talk this week of "it could have been worse."

This situation, this event, this problem-- this bad thing happened, but it could have been worse.

And in most of those conversations, yes. It could have been worse.

"It could have been worse" isn't really a blessing, though. I don't want to focus on the worst case scenario, or minimize the bad that actually happened just because it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I want to think instead about the good. About all the small bits of good that marked our days, instead of all the bad that didn't.  About the good that came from all the bad, despite the bad, redeeming the bad.

I'm surrounded by blessings, small gifts from God, every moment. I want to find those blessings.

We Need the Good Stuff: Choosing Good over Easy

I work at a Bible Camp- and let me tell you, it's been pretty amazing.

I love my co-workers, I love my office, the emphasis on family, the campers... it's busy, but it's great.

The only real trouble is the cookies. 

There are almost always cookies in the dining hall, just a few steps from my office. The smell of them baking wafts down to my desk.

And when it isn't cookies, it's brownies, or cake. Or donuts.

They're right there, and they're easy to grab. There's also good stuff in the dining hall- carrots and broccoli and chicken breasts... but you have to walk back to the fridge to get those... so... (cough cough)

Often (too often), I choose what's easy and fun over what's actually good for me.

Blessings this Week: 06.10.2016 Edition

Well, it's official. The summer has started.

How do I know?

The counselors are here, parents are calling, and my office looks like someone took the contents of a Staples Superstore and shook it onto my desk.

It's easy for me to get into the wrong attitude when I feel like everything and everyone is depending on me.

When I give and give and don't feel like I'm getting much in return? My spirit wears out and my temper wears thin.

That's why I have to find the moments of God's love, His faithfulness. 

Those little moments? They may only be seconds long- a ray of sunshine hitting the clouds just so, or a Facebook video of a little boy receiving a present that makes him cry.

They fill me up. I just need to open my eyes and see them.

...   ...   ...   ...   ...

The last little one to leave the nest... (and yes, this is the same nest from last week, and a few weeks before that.)

Office Lady Must-Haves | The Office Supplies I Love the Best

It is that time of year, again.

The time of year when I spend more of my day in my office than I do anywhere else.

It's summer at camp, people. And as the chief registration-processor/queen of the phones, there's a lot that falls on my shoulders when it comes to my part of making summer camp run smoothly. It's a privilege and a joy.

Even more so because I'm stocked up with all this good stuff.

Provision for Every Day

It never fails.

Trevor will stop by to pick me up from my office at 5:05 pm, and within minutes, he asks,

"So, what are we doing for supper?"

The only exceptions to this almost-daily rule is that sometimes I'm the one doing the asking.

Especially if I didn't have much for lunch.

And most of the time, I can't help but think, Did we just do this yesterday? Why do we have to eat again?

Thankfully, between frozen pizza, leftovers, and the rare freshly made supper (meal planning for the occasional win!), we usually manage to survive.

But here's the thing- when it comes to food, we have to do it every day. And most of us do it more than once a day, even.

Ugh.

Blessings this Week: 06.03.2016 Edition

There have been lots of little moments this week.

They had to be little moments, because with summer camp starting up veryverysoon, my big moments are all filled up.

These little moments are glimpses into a very real God who is very much interested in the details of my life. And He loves me. Even in the smallest of things, like a little bunny in the grass or a sunset or a funny moment, I know that He loves me.