Until the 1800s, sailing ships were the primary mode of intercontinental transport. No matter what the design, they were entirely dependent on the invisible yet powerful force of the wind. But this free, renewable source of power was productive only if the mast and sails were in good operational condition. The captain’s priority, therefore, was […]
As I was cleaning off a bookshelf recently, I came upon a basket full of cards that had poured in after my husband’s death. Later, as I sat down to read them, it sent me back to that time ten years ago when my life had turned upside down. Seeing these words of love warmed […]
One of the benefits of GPS technology is the elimination of bulky road maps that, once unfolded, could never be returned to their original state. A cross-country trip required several of these maps. Helpful as those maps were, they couldn’t tell you where you were on the map. Many marriages were threatened (including my own) […]
While a student at Wheaton College in the late ’60s, I was part of a student ministry team that weekly sought to touch the lives of the homeless with the love of Christ. We would travel by bus to downtown Chicago on Sunday mornings. I’ll never forget being dropped off, walking about a block and then […]
I was weary . . . weariness stemming from the busyness of a fall that had been physically and emotionally taxing. Yet this gave me more opportunity than ever to apply what I’ve been learning about rest and resiliency in the past year. Living out these lessons felt like diving into deep, refreshing water. I […]
Last week I had a small epiphany. For a couple years I have been grumbling about my work schedule and workload. Surely I am working harder than my peers. I have no proof of this, but it gives me an excuse to whine. I will be 70 this year. How did that happen!? Was I not banging […]
At the end of every year, I ask God for a key word to be my focus for the year ahead. My key word for 2017 was rest. In December I asked God what He would select for my 2018 word. The answer came before I said “amen.” After pondering it for a few weeks (Did I […]
Recently, I was privileged to give the eulogy for my friend Joann Blanch at her memorial service. As I thought about her life, I realized it was characterized by saying yes to the invitations in Psalm 23. Saying yes shaped who she was, defined the qualities she lived by, and resulted in blessing everyone she […]
For decades now, Navigators have used the Bridge Illustration to help countless men and women put their trust in Jesus. I’m beginning to see, however, that we can no longer rely on such evangelism tools alone. While they were effective in the past, they may not be as helpful in explaining the gospel today, especially […]
As I left the library, a man I had never met stopped me to offer several thoughts about Michigan State University. Not noticing that I was a bit startled, he rattled on, asking how I felt about a man on the MSU Board of Trustees. I did have a few thoughts, so we had a […]
