C.S. Lewis writes in his essay on Historicism, ‘pre-historic poetry has perished because words before writing are winged.’ The oral tradition of storytelling is in hibernation. Sitting on the porch watching the fireflies’ nightly dance creates time for reflection. Today, who has time to sit quietly and listen to the family lore dished up with…
Valentine’s Day may be over, but it’s still the month of love. The holiday itself can be stressful for many of us. Did we buy the perfect gift? Can we still get a reservation somewhere? We see other people receiving extravagant bouquets, but our special someone seems to have forgotten all about the big day.…
Have you ever felt the way King David did here? In these very difficult and challenging times, with every person on the planet grappling with grief, fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, have you cried out to God and received only silence in response? We all feel that way sometimes—maybe a lot of times. And David shows…
Every Christian says we should do this, but many of us struggle to follow through with the fourth commandment: remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. I remember how at my Christian college they would encourage students to rest and take time to pull away from the hustle and bustle … but they also had…
Does Christmas make you nostalgic? If so, you’re far from alone. This time of year, many of us long, almost painfully, for the traditions we grew up with. My husband and I got married days before Christmas. It came as a rude surprise to discover he expected a star atop the tree, and my family…
At Christmas, I’m always drawn to the story of Mary. Imagine being fourteen or fifteen, the age most historians think Mary was, betrothed to a man arranged by your parents, and suddenly an angelic being appears in front of you. Said angel tells you are going to be a mother! What would you do? I’d…
And above all these things put on love, Which binds everything together In perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14 ESV Hanging on our bedroom wall is our advent calendar. Tucked in pockets are beautiful words of God’s love. The first folded paper has a quote from Robert Browning. “How do I love thee? Let me count the…
You don’t need me to tell you it’s been a year. Fear, anxiety, uncertainty, illness, controversy, division, and financial hardship have shaped the last few months. Now that the Advent season is upon us, it can be difficult to shift our focus from everything that is going on in the world to the celebration and…
Today marks the 79th anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that propelled our nation into history’s bloodiest war. Looking back, I have to say stories from WWII have captivated me from an early age—probably from the day I first picked up The Diary of Anne Frank in school. I also remember…
As the year 2020 nears its end, many of us sigh in relief. The past several months have been filled with one crisis after another, from COVID-19, to congressional antics, to claims of election fraud. We, as a nation, are anxious for the curtain to fall on this chapter of our history. Lock the door.…