It was two years ago that we last visited our families here in the Pacific Northwest in the winter months. I was very pregnant last December so we could not do our usual travel north for the Christmas holiday. After that last trip two years ago, I put three of my favorite wool sweaters into… Continue reading Lessons from my closet floor
Category: Faith
Can I have a witness?
I just enjoyed a few rare daytime minutes alone with my husband (thanks Lauren!) out in Pasadena. As we were walking past the Fuller Seminary student parking lot, Doug made a comment about the collection of hulking SUV’s, the smattering of luxury vehicles, and the presence of lots of shiny, new, good-looking cars. (Are we… Continue reading Can I have a witness?
The apprentice
This past weekend Doug was busy preparing our worship service for Sunday, in the midst of cooking breakfast for his family and playing with his kids. At one point, he set his guitar down in the dining room, propped up against one of the chairs. A few minutes later Mercy trotted over to her instrument… Continue reading The apprentice
Encoding
Scot McKnight is doing a series of posts on Psalm 119. His comments today reminded me of what a mystery it is for us to come to a place of “understanding” when it comes to scripture and the things of God. Doug and I have good friends, John and Ann Goldingay, who often entertain students… Continue reading Encoding
“Truly worthy?”
Doug and I found ourselves sitting in our living room yesterday afternoon with some good friends from our church. They are a couple that has been on a journey of healing and restoration in both spiritual and very tangible physical ways. Since we have known them, there have been maybe a handful of times where… Continue reading “Truly worthy?”
Quotation of the Week
I went in there wondering if Bono was a Christian, and I came out wondering if I was. Overheard at a Willow Creek pastor’s conference session featuring a video presentation of a discussion between Bill Hybels and Bono. From the November 13th Newsweek, “An Evangelical Identity Crisis” (I realized I did not provide a link… Continue reading Quotation of the Week
How do we deal with Cinderellas in church planting?
One thing I have learned about parenthood is this: you have to pick your battles. When you have a baby, you likely have in your mind a set of ideals for how you, and your child, will relate to one another and to the world. Then you discover that your child is human. And you… Continue reading How do we deal with Cinderellas in church planting?
Bullet holes and breast augs
There is a van that sometimes parks in front of our house. It is your typical ghetto minivan, and I say typical for two reasons. One is that, in the back window, there is a large sticker proclaiming: “Jesus es Dios. Lea la biblia” (this is a bumper sticker campaign from one of the largest,… Continue reading Bullet holes and breast augs
And a little child shall lead them…
I was sitting in the back row at our worship service this morning when a kid from our congregation came and set down next to me. I asked him how he was doing and he kind of shrugged and said, “Okay.” I said, “Just okay?” and he said with a long face: “Yeah.” Well, my… Continue reading And a little child shall lead them…
Quotation of the Week
Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you man murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that. From “Where Do We Go From Here?” by Martin… Continue reading Quotation of the Week