I am remembering a brief one-on-one with a conference speaker many years ago. She was an experienced mom with mostly adult children and mine were still young. Here’s the most important thing she shared with me that day: “There is grace for all of the experience of parenting. When we make mistakes – and we will … More grace for that
Beware of the line. The line is that grey place between what honors the Lord and what doesn’t. I hate murky, dead living that is half in the goodness of God and half in the stink of sin. I want to move as far from the line into the tender heart of Jesus as I … More the line
The “elephant” is that part of family life that is so difficult, so prevailing, so in my face, that I cannot look at it. I know that if I stop averting my attention and I look directly at it, I will have to act. And I’m afraid that if I try to act, I can’t … More elephants
The Lord showed me something very sweet. Just after we say, “Let’s pray,” and before the first word of the petition, there is often a short interval of complete silence, a pause, a breath. The space cleared by the silence is the break between all that is past and all that is to come, and … More The Pause
The Lord is reminding me that He chose me to be a parent. He knew when He chose me that I would not do all parts of the parenting assignment well, but He chose me anyway. There is an anointing on my life to do what He has called me to do. I choose to lean … More Anointed Mom
Be more afraid of burying coins than failing as an investor. Be more afraid of not hearing the Lord’s voice, than of what He might say when He speaks. Be more afraid of living on the surface, than of drowning in the deeps. Be more afraid of small safeness, than of large sacrifice. Be more … More Meditating on Risk
“Some in the world have a bright light shining, and even after they are gone the light shines on.” Corrie ten Boom Susan’s journal entry 4/12/12
I am wondering about the primary actions of the Fruit of the Spirit and asking the Lord to teach me. Here’s my thoughts so far: Love covers (a multitude of sins) Joy comes, Ps. 30:5 (I think I got this one from Beth Moore) Peace spreads (It begins in Truth, hope or faith then permeates) … More The Fruit of the Spirit in Action
Gratitude is never silent or invisible for out of the heart, the mouth will surely speak. Those who are filled with gratitude are enabled to find a blessing, enlarge a blessing, or create a blessing, but the opposite is also true: The ungrateful can find a problem, enlarge a problem or create a problem. Susan’s … More Gratitude
daring to live fully alive
jointjournal 