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Faith

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Faith

Ash Wednesday marks the season of Lent

The word LENT written in vintage metal letterpress type on a soft backlit background.

Today the Christian Church observes Ash Wednesday. It marks the start of the season of Lent, a time for somber reflection – on our sin, our mortality, and our Savior. Strange as it may sound to some, I always look forward to Lent as an opportunity to open myself to God in a more intentional or different way. The idea of putting myself in a position to nourish my faith or discover new insights about my life in Christ gives new energy to my one-on-one time with God. More than that, I think my enthusiasm for this season is because it is the 40-day run up to Easter. And Easter – the celebration of Christ’s resurrection – is the basis for my faith. If Christ didn’t arise from the dead, then He wasn’t who He said He was, and, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “our faith is worthless” (I Cor…

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Faith

Silence is the language of God

Jesus sushing

A couple of weekends ago, I attended a women’s retreat with more than 80 others at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. I’ve been on several self-directed, silent retreats before, where, believe it or not, I did not speak for more than 40 hours from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. This retreat was different. It had an agenda which included prayer services, teaching from various speakers, and mass. We were expected to remain silent only between the planned sessions. At meal times we were free to let loose, and, man, did we ever. The cafeteria was anything but silent! Why all the silence, you ask? Silence is the language of God Most mystics and contemplatives would say that if you want to hear from God, you must shut your mouth and listen. God can and does communicate with us in many ways. We might hear God’s…

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Everyday Life

Women writer’s workshop leads to meeting with God

winter scene

Some years ago, I attended a women writer’s workshop over a weekend in January. It was held in a rustic lodge nestled in the woods along the shores of the Grand River just north of Lansing, Michigan. It was a memorable experience, with a good mix of challenge – stretching me beyond my comfort zone as a writer – and encouragement from a diverse group of affirming and inspiring women. Even better was the self-directed retreat that followed. I had five days all to myself to practice writing in a cozy guest room at the front of the lodge. With only one other woman staying for the retreat, we had the whole place to ourselves. It was the perfect setting for connecting with God and nature and for fueling my creativity. An unexpected meeting One afternoon, in need of a change of scenery, I stepped out from the warmth of…

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Faith

Lord, we have a situation in Houston

The devotional I use for my reflection time in the morning (In Touch Ministries: Daily Readings for Devoted Living) had me reading James 2:14-17. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” In his reflection on this passage, the Rev. Charles Stanley says faith should flow out of us, and if it doesn’t, “then something has gone wrong and we need to seek God’s help.” If this passage doesn’t speak to Joel Osteen and the backlash he’s getting for not opening his megachurch to…

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Faith

How ancient words gave me hope for the journey

A few months ago I heard a preacher on the radio say something like, “God is willing to break you to remake you.” As scary as that sounds, the words gave me courage. In fact, they were in sync with the on-going conversation I’d been having with God. A few days before, while reading Deuteronomy 8:1-6, I was struck by verse 2. It says, “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.” Call me crazy, but that passage was a welcome dose of hope for my weary soul. With cancer as the unwelcome guest in my husband’s lungs, the last few years have felt like a very long journey through barren stretches of scorched desert land. Like bare feet on hot sand, my tender heart has…

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Everyday Life

Why I Write

I’m beginning to define and explore the difficult question of why I write and why I want to become a better writer. Here are some of my initial and incomplete thoughts: Writing is my response to God’s direction. God keeps telling me to write. I know that sounds pretty mystical, or overly religious or downright arrogant. I mean, if God said it, who’s to argue the point, right? But it’s true in the sense that, despite trying a number of different degree programs and work roles, I have always sensed God’s finger pointing me back to writing. I think it’s safe to say I feel compelled to write, as in, if God gave me the ability, provided the training and gave me the tools to write well, then I should write. Writing is the fruit of my spiritual life. In high school, much of my writing was focused on searching for…

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Faith

Garden Delight

In the spring, I decided to re-landscape our backyard in preparation for my daughter’s high school graduation party in June. I hired our friend, Mark the Handyman, to transform what was a lifeless, messy, difficult-to-maintain yard into what I’d hoped would be a beautiful setting for the special occasion. Completed just days before the party, the new yard was my long-time dream-come-true. The handyman had done an amazing job! Mark grew grass where there was only dirt and weeds. He dug up shrubs that had out-lived their usefulness and framed the perimeter of the yard with generous flower beds. He cropped all the dead tree branches that cluttered the back fence and trimmed down the weed vines that liked to wrap themselves in desperation around the fence boards. All the cutting away exposed the beauty of less. Now, the two stunning walnut trees that reach high into the heavens stand…

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