Well, and I made friends with a gangster too. Actually, it was she who introduced me to Dead Cow Girl, the dominatrix. I’m not making any of this up. The second day as we were all chatting over lovely hor d’oeurves and mojitos, Blogher does things up well, the subject […]
Read Moresometimes I think in sermon illustrations
Forgiveness
Some hurts time won’t heal. Some words still sting 20 years later. Some wounds still gape open and every word we utter is through teeth clenched with pain. Memory tears them open, over, and over again and all the shame and pain flood in as though it were only yesterday, […]
Read MoreIn Need of Mercy
She’s screaming bloody murder because she wants a bowl of mush like the Boy has. She’s already eaten spaghetti, and strawberries, and turned down the choice of chicken or more spaghetti. It is pure unadulterated covetousness. “I WANT WHAT HE’S HAVING!” He’s eating porridge because he got an expander mostly […]
Read MoreIt’s not about forgiveness, it’s about freedom
Have you ever tried to explain Good Friday to someone with no church background? If you went to Sunday school and learned the standard story you probably said something like, “Well, we were bad and God wanted to forgive us because he loves us, but he’s too perfect and holy […]
Read MoreDeep thoughts from my pregnant brain.
I distinctly remember, a few weeks after discovering that I was pregnant having the thought, almost unbidden, “This is a good opportunity to practice going through suffering in a way that is a participation with Christ in his redemption of the world.” Yeah, loaded phrase. I don’t expect it to […]
Read MoreI just think that songwriters should think about what the words teach, that’s all.
There is this cute little song that my kids learned to sing at church last week. It has little actions to it and the tune is catchy. The lyrics go like this: I wanna be like youI wanna be like you Jesus (Repeat ad nauseum) Less of me,This is my […]
Read MoreRemember Who You Are
I finished reading The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis to the kids this week. (If you have never read it or the accompanying books in the Chronicles of Narnia series you should stop now, drop everything, go out and buy the books and read them all this month. They are […]
Read MoreForgiveness
The Boy kneels on the floor sobbing, surveying what used to be an entire fort for his army guys to defend, complete with cannon, now scattered Lego pieces kicked all over the carpet. Little stands in the corner, arms crossed defiantly, brow furrowed, lower lip sticking out. She is angry […]
Read Morethe mouths of babes
She loves princesses. She obsesses about hair and curls and pretty necklaces. Yes, already, at almost 6. I have not encouraged this trend, it’s just who she is. She loves to plan things, and sweeps us all along with her schemes and imagining. A few nights ago we were praying […]
Read MoreCome Away
There is this thing I try every so often with my kids. When I can see that they are on the verge of fighting with each other, or when they are in the middle of fighting, I call one of them to come to me. Rather than give them something […]
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