I wish you could hear the birds outside my window just now. It's early, early morning and they're going crazy out there. God must have put something in them that feels this need to herald in the morning. It sounds like this loud, jubilant procession. It's like they're shouting, "Here comes the sun! Here comes the day! It's heeeeeere! It's heeeeeere!" Birds are very excited about new days apparently. I like that about them.Speaking of new days, I'm embarking on a new day myself and a new year of life. Just celebrated a birthday. In the words of Elvis, "Thank you, thank you, thank you very much." But seriously, I'm thankful for all the people that celebrated loud like the birds, heralding in all the new with me.It's really exciting to embark on a new year. I recently read about this guy who [...]

Last weekend, Brent and I had the chance to get-away for the night, so we went up to Wheaton, IL to see a group of our favorite artists perform.  While we were there, we stopped in an old bookstore, owned by a sweet couple that we admire, and we browsed through their old, old books.I don't care how sophisticated and high-tech our society becomes, there's just no replacing old, old books. I wanted to buy something as a kind gesture, and though I'm a lover of old books, I'm not really a collector, so I happily picked this one--a book by one of my heroes in this life--Corrie ten Boom.Are you familiar with her? Oh, please, let me introduce you to her. She's a woman who changed the world--ever so courageously, in profound and quiet ways.During the last world war, as the brutal German army [...]

Blogs are funny things. They don't exactly portray life the way it really is. I mean, usually they don't. Because blogs are full of pretty pictures and fun adventures and things like that and we're not likely to post the ugly stuff. We don't like to put pictures of our messes up for the world to see. We'd rather just record the smiles or the nifty crafts and we don't much talk about the yelling part, or the wrestling part, or the part that's real and still hurts. But, those parts are important, too. And maybe they're even more important because we all need to know that we're not alone in our struggles. And there's just so much strength in knowing you're not alone. So, it's important--this kind of living with the walls down. It's a brave sort of living, a risky sort of living, but it's the [...]

She dances. Her so small and yet somehow she knows how to sway to rhythm. I could say that I taught her but I never showed her that move. She tilts and twirls and smiles and whirls. She dances because her joy wells and though she's little, she's unafraid. I could live like that. Light steps. A twirl here. A spin now and then. A wide happy grin. This knowing—that though I’m small and not in charge, I’ve got a Heavenly Father who holds all things together. This whole wide world. And me. And He is kind and He is good.  And this world He is redeeming--it’s why He sent His Son. So we could dance. Our whole life swaying, twirling, spinning, to the rhythm of His grace.