Have you ever had God smack you upside the head again and again with the same message? Yeah. That was me this week. Again and again He’s been whispering to my heart, “Come here. Your weirdness is wonderful. I made you and I love you and there are lots of other people feeling the same way you do. I love them too.” I …
The Best Back-to-School Invitation: Just for You!
I sat across from her as she shared about her coursework for the fall. Excitement flashed in her eyes as we talked syllabi, homework, assignments, and credits. This dear friend, old enough to be my mother, is entering her second year of graduate studies, and her enthusiasm is palpable. But as I walked the aisles of superstores, taking in the back-to-school displays rife …
The Beauty of Impromptu Visits with Jesus
We were sitting around their fireplace, talking about differences between American and Romanian culture. “One of the things that stands out the most,” I share, bravely, “Is that people just pop in for a visit. No phone call. No invitation. Just ‘Hey, I was thinking of you and thought I’d stop by.’” She nodded, sharing how she had experience a …
When You Feel Like You’re Not Ready
“But I’m not ready,” I said. Write, came the reply. “I don’t know what to say.” Just write. I will give you words. “But there are so many other women more skilled and popular and… what if they scoff at me?” Write the words I give you. And so I did. I pulled up a chair in this corner of …
Don’t Discount the Blooms
Look at her. Stop. And look. Marvel at her velvety petals, the delicate pink blushing from core to margins. Smile at her beautiful simplicity. The cherry blossom. She is a simple bloom but one of my favorites every year, heralding the coming of summer, the promise of pleasing fruit. Had God been concerned simply with the end result, He would …