January 6th was my deadline for my contribution to the TCW devotional book, Sanctuary For My Soul. January 9th I found a lump in my breast. January 20th I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My devotion quickly forgotten, (along with pretty much every other non-essential part of my life), I was shoved into a daily struggle to trust in God’s plan for me. I didn’t doubt God’s goodness or love for me on January 9 or January 20. But I didn’t like where he was taking me. (That’s an understatement by the way.) Over the past few months I have felt…
Proverbs 14:23 All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. “Hey mom, can you come spot me? I’m gonna try a backflip.” My middle son Owen asked me that question just as offhandedly as he might have asked me to help him with a math problem. In his head, it was something he wanted to do so he was gonna try it. In my head, it was a crazy thought, and he would probably get over it in the near future. But he didn’t. Instead, he did what kids these days do and found YouTube instruction…
Proverbs 13:5 The righteous hate what is false, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Our kids are growing up in a society that loves making evil good and good evil. It’s a confusing and frustrating generation for Christian kids to be immersed in. The Bible draws clear lines between what is false and what is true, but our society no longer finds its morality within scriptures. Instead we live in a world of shifting mores. Whatever feels right right now, must be right. In this dangerous way of thinking, “truth” shifts as often as the seasons. Movies,…
12:26 A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. One of my oldest son’s best friends is the son of one of my college friends. It is not by accident. When our boys were in third grade, my friend and I became proactive in their friendship, orchestrating times for the boys to hang out together. Theirs is a friendship that probably wouldn’t have blossomed without a little push because the boys didn’t naturally cross paths. In all of their years of elementary school, they were only placed in the same classroom…
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. My Owen loves to play football. Before he was old enough for school ball he played on a youth team, and man did he enjoy it. One of those years his team won one game. One game. They practiced hard and played hard, but they just couldn’t pull off a win. I credit his coaches for instilling in the boys the love of the game, even in loss. They encouraged those boys continually. And each week the kids went out and gave it their best. And they never…