Focal verse “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore” (Psalm 121:8). Reflection I remember that, as an elementary school student about to embark on a cross-country move, I waited for the school bus at the top of our driveway and debated whether I could pull […]
Nearly 800 women from around the world gathered in Phoenix to attend the Women of the ELCA (WELCA) triennial gathering Sept. 21-24, under the theme “Just Love.” The body’s Twelfth Triennial Convention was held there the preceding week, Sept. 18-21. With six years having passed since WELCA’s last in-person gathering, there was much to celebrate […]
Focal verse “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). Reflection Last Halloween our family joined friends to go trick-or-treating. In our small town we dressed in costumes, loaded onto a hay-lined trailer bed and rode down the streets. At every stop the kids jumped off and […]
Focal verse “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Reflection At our elementary school open house, students and parents were greeted with signs and decorations throughout the building. […]
Focal verse “Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 111:2-3). Reflection By the time August arrives, our garden is usually full—of both veggies and weeds. The cucumber vines wind around our trellis, large fruits […]
Focal verse Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Reflection Our family loves to spend days at the library gathering books […]
Focal verse: You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Reflection My children never lack ideas for play. Some days it’s building a fort with blankets and chairs; other days it’s playing cheetahs in the wild. Then there’s the […]
My 8-year-old daughter recently started horseback riding lessons. One afternoon I walked behind on her trail ride. Earlier that morning, I’d lost my patience with the kids while getting ready for school, and the guilt lingered. I worried about how much time I spend on my phone rather than looking my kids in the eyes. […]
Focal verse “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act” (Psalm 37:5). Reflection Next to my armchair sits a wicker basket that holds books and journals. Grabbing my coffee, I take myself to this chair most mornings to sit, read and write before anyone else is awake. My hardcover Bible […]
