Talent: characteristic feature, aptitude or disposition of a person; the natural endowments of a person Words matter. They can encourage or deter creative pursuits. I still remember two elementary school teachers that I had. The orchestra teacher told me that I had no musical ability and discouraged me from attempting…
In A.D. 64 the apostle Paul was in prison in Rome. The Emperor Nero was persecuting Christians and Paul was facing execution. It is hard to imagine being in these circumstances. What would I do? Paul wrote a letter to Timothy whom he loved like a son. He gave instructions…
Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my grandchildren. I was happy to join the family for dinner. As we were eating dinner the second grader said, “We might be having world war three.” “Why do you say that?” I asked. “A boy in my class said that.” The granddaughter who…
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 God’s amazing design is before us in the birth of Jesus. Jesus did not enter our world as an…
Christmas, the day that we commemorate Jesus’ birth, is coming. Last night we attended a concert titled Night of Glory. It was good to pause from my errands, cookie baking, and card writing. I listened to the story of God’s amazing gift, told in song. The concert began with the…
There are times and circumstances that overwhelm with fear. Remember the Bible account of the sudden storm on the Sea of Galilee? A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him…
When I read the prompt for Five Minute Friday today, I immediately thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who wrote the book, The Cost of Discipleship. His life portrayed the cost of his convictions. I have read Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas and more recently My Dearest Dietrich by…
My grandson and I were looking out of the dining room window at the trees. The leaves were changing color. “See the linden tree—the leaves are turning yellow.” My grandson said, “But look at that tree. Its leaves are bronze.” In the distance we could see a tree with orange…
Patience is a virtue, worth cultivating in ourselves and our children. Some years ago I read an article by Pamela Druckerman that extolled the way French parents teach their children to wait. In her article, Why French Parents Are Superior, Druckerman pointed out that children who have learned patience are…
So many things can cause me to worry—illness, divisive politics, concerns about friends and family, goals not met. Do I live in fear or do I hold fast to God with faith? The book of Joshua in the Old Testament lays out great examples of active faith. Today I was…