• More Slices of Life

    Kathryn’s Letters and another birthday

    What a blessing it has been to be able to occasionally talk with Kathryn on the phone and also to receive her letters from Jinja, Uganda where she’s working in an orphanage.  I know as she wraps up the month of March there, she’s likely thinking that the time is moving too swiftly! Her letters have been such a source of encouragement to us and have really been informative as to the nature of her work there and all that’s going on. I’m missing her very much today as we’ve just returned from celebrating my birthday with most all our…

  • Potpourri

    a sad note

    The Maxwell’s baby, Susannah Joy, has passed from this life………….. and we pray into the arms of the LORD. Our deep sympathy to the Maxwell family, especially to Nathan and Melanie… sweet parents… grieving the loss of their newborn – their firstborn child.   Please remember them in your prayers as they walk through the days ahead.  Sweet comfort is that they are trusting in the merciful grace of the LORD.

  • Potpourri

    Humbling

    My name is Pride. I am a cheater. I cheat you of your God-given destiny… because you demand your own way. I cheat you of contentment… because you “deserve better than this.” I cheat you of knowledge… because you already know it all. I cheat you of healing… because you’re too full of me to forgive. I cheat you of holiness… because you refuse to admit when you’re wrong. I cheat you of vision… because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window. I cheat you of genuine friendship… because nobody’s going to know the real you. I…

  • Devotionals

    a battle of wills

    I was standing in the kitchen a little while ago and, as I do most every morning, I was waiting for my tea water to boil. Instantly, Doubter came in along with his friends, Sabotager and Shame to visit She-who-must-be-obeyed. You see, She-who-must-be-obeyed has been battling against My-will-to-obey and She-who-must-be-obeyed is very very cunning and has a litany of excuses as to why she deserves whatever she wants… especially when she listens to friends, Doubter, Sabotager and Shame. They’re all bent on tempting her to listen and bent on destroying My-will-to-obey. You see, My-will-to-obey is often weak and even seems…

  • Potpourri

    prayers…

    Please join in prayer for the Maxwell family: Nathan and Melanie’s newborn daughter Susannah Joy is in NICU… More here: the Maxwell family blog

  • Homeschooling - Motherhood - Potpourri

    home’s cool

    I needed to write an article for the next issue of Making It Home magazine. And I thought what shall I write? It’s the May/June issue and I wanted to write something appropriate – meaningful for mothers. And then I thought on the retreat I’ve just attended and the thoughts still swirling around in my mind. I thought on some of the questions also that I’ve received lately and was amazed (but never surprised!) at God’s weaving of different messages and themes. I’m often asked and often contemplate the question: Why home school? I’m asked, “Do you think everyone should…

  • Potpourri - The Church Today

    Another hmmmmmm…

    You know… you go along and think that perhaps it’s not all going south. Maybe you’ve overreacted or have been a bit too critical. You think maybe you ought to just sit back, take a deep breath and study the matter a bit longer before making a judgment call on the matter. In yet another “Hmmmmmm….” moment and another shaking of the head and aching in the heart moment I sort of cannot believe a video clip I just watched. No it wasn’t at all akin to the American Family Association’s mail and video clip sent out yesterday… (the vulgar…

  • Potpourri

    Home Free

    I am deeply saddened at the passing of a tremendously blessed and gifted musician, pianist, Roger Bennett. I will greatly miss his marvelous gift and ability to share gospel truths, encouraging words, laughs and… hope in sorrow.   I will miss his integral part of the beautiful dynamic of Legacy 5.  I will miss anticipating and attending the music concerts of Legacy 5.  What a blessing it is to have most all their CD’s… the music is tremendously inspiring.  I love that he wrote of his journey and trials in his Midnight Meditations. I love that he walked with God –…

  • More Slices of Life - Potpourri

    Today’s Slices

    Blogging is sort of like riding a bike… sometimes it’s easy, like riding on a smooth path; other times it’s a challenge, like a steep incline or like attempting to get back on and ride after falling off the bike.  Anyway… this is for my friend who, yesterday, asked me to keep blogging. So today I don’t really have anything original or inspiring to write but I do have a couple of matters that are weighing on my heart.   Ironically, they’re completely unrelated and in the scheme of things have drastically different weight as far as importance goes.  But sort…

  • Devotionals - Motherhood - Potpourri

    I will look up

    If I look down and see my feet and the rocky ground beneath — or look down and see not my feet but shifting waves crashing all around me, a wave of panic washes over me and I fear I will sink or be washed away in the flood of fear. But, in the most peculiar of all, the most wonderful of all experiences I know is the sweet peace that washes over when I look not down but up — when I lift my eyes and see that not only am I  not in perilous straits or not only…