I once took a walk with God out in the rain. It was the coziest walk. The air was just enough warm and the puddles were just enough inviting. I felt so close to God, underneath my umbrella. But, I got blisters. Partly because I was chasing this one cloud and I wandered too far and also because I wasn't wearing the proper shoes. They were my 9 year old's Crocs and I have these unsightly bunions so my bunions rubbed, thus the blisters. I have to admit. I was disappointed that you could go on a walk with God and still get blisters. But alas, this is the human condition. There are bunions and blisters and disappointments, this side of heaven. Speaking of heaven. I'm not entirely for sure, but I am almost mostly confident that there will be chocolate there. Also,[...]

When I was in college, I remember sitting alone in the old A-frame "BSU" building. (BSU stood for Baptist Student Union. I don't know that any of us were consciously baptists. That's just what they called it.) Anyhoo. I was sitting there waiting to meet with the BSU director because, if I remember correctly, I was on a worship team, and so the director thought it would be a good idea to meet with the ones in positions of leadership, to make sure our souls were doing well. And I must clarify--I wasn't a worship leader, myself. I mostly just played guitar and sang a bit out of tune, but they were desperate for help, so I thought it would be "cool" to join in. By the way, I think that was the last time I actually felt cool, when I was carrying my guitar around campus. Now, I occasio[...]

Dear friend, I don't know where today finds you. Maybe you woke up this morning and found out your spouse hasn't exactly been faithful to you. Or maybe you haven't been feeling well, and you've got a check-up soon and you're afraid it's cancer. Or maybe your life is a little more "normal" and you just woke up to a wrecky house and loud kids and a long to-do list and not very much energy. Probably, if you're like me, you've got some struggles of some sort. There are things that bug you and things that nag at your heart and there are unanswered questions and hard relationships and fluctuating emotions. Probably, if you're like me, you keep meaning to get all the pine needles in the yard raked up, from last year, but who has time to rake pine needles? And you keep wanting to be a[...]

The other day, we visited this children's museum. As we made our way inside, I watched my kids run enthusiastically down that carpeted ramp, pointing excitedly at this and that, and I cried. I cried because I got to be witness to this--my boy beside himself with glee over the Transformers exhibit and the dinosaur sculptures and I got to see the world again through my little girl's eyes, all full or curiosity and wonder. I cried because so many of the world's children have never been to a dinosaur museum just for the fun of it. Some of them are scraping the parched earth, looking for food and they can't find any. And some of the children in the world don't have a momma or a daddy to take care of them and here we were, all together enjoying life and we'd go out to eat at restaurant[...]

I love October warmth. Wearing a sweatshirt and raking leaves in bare feet. I know, it’s ridiculous. But, have you tried it? Just watch your toes. The rake can do a number on your toes if you’re not careful. And I love the way the sun tingles your skin. How when you sit just so, with your face turned up toward all the light, the sunshine starts warming you right there in the middle of your chest and then overtakes the rest of your happily contented self. One could almost doze off to sleep if it weren’t for that cool breeze that nips around the edges of you, reminding you that you’re quite alive. I love those Autumn breezes. My friend tells me that this time of year, the wind seems to whip everything together into winter ready shape. The grass is still a vivid green but the purple[...]

So, I'm kinda addicted to the internet machine. Because I really like Facebook. And email. And my favorite blogs. And there's always something entertaining on the Youtube device. And Pinterest is intriguing but then it always makes me really hungry. And angry. Because I never seem to have all those ingredients in my kitchen. And there's this thing I've noticed about myself. This thing that I do that I don't like when I notice myself doing it. I often come to the computer looking for love or fulfillment or something. I know that sounds strange, but do you know what I mean? Like, I click on my email box to see if there’s anything in there that will help me feel significant. And then I check my Facebook to see if someone has posted something that'll make me laugh or if enough people[...]

Dear Believer, I know you want to know your Maker. You’ve got that ache, deep down, to just sit still beside Him and hear what He has to say. And you’re tired of just gathering up a bunch of facts and instructions. You don’t want more knowledge, mere chapters and verses to stuff in your already information-overloaded head. You desperately want relationship. To somehow come to the words of God and meet with the Word Himself. But, you’ve got that check-list and it seems like you should just sit long enough to do your duty and cross it off and go on to the next thing. Your Bible has gotten boring. And it’s not exactly helping much. Before you give up, reach out and grab hold of my hand for a minute. I'd like to help if I can. Now, I grew up mostly Christian. I say mostly b[...]

Dear Jesus-following believer, Make it the aim of your life to know God. Not to know about Him, but to know Him. His Person. He tucked down deep into your heart this longing for Him. But, you may not have recognized it at first. You just know that daily you desire to set off on a beauty-hunt. You want to be ravished by wonder. There's something in you that wants to gather up all the glory. To hold it in your hands. To bring it in. God is there. And He's seeking relationship with you. He's not interested in your religion. He wants your friendship. But, He won't force that. He waits till you come looking and seeking and knocking. He wants to be found. We can be students of God, you and I. We've got this ability to be captivated by Him. But, our eyes are broken and so[...]

Some days I walk around feeling inconsolably lonely. And I always think that it's strange. Because I have these people around me that love me well and love me deep and that I love immensely. Namely, my husband and kids. And I've got a fair amount of friends. And a cell phone and email and facebook to keep up with the ones I can't see face to face, much. But, still, I go through these phases of just feeling so lonesome. I can be smack dab in the middle of all the folks I love and yet, there's this sadness, this feeling that something isn't quite right. That somehow I'm not complete or that I'm not at home. And when I try to put my finger on it, I find that I'm ravishingly hungry for Someone else. Someone other. Like, I'm starved for God. I know. It's strange. And when I read the B[...]