No foolin'. April's word is contentment. Too much noise in our ears. Too many images flashing around us. Too long of a to-do list. Too hard to overcome the gimmies. Too blurry the lines between needs and desires. Too easy the comparison between me and another. What is contentment? How do we find ... read more

Easter morning, still dark outside, my alarm goes off, and I drag myself into the bathroom and begin to get ready for my long morning as a church accompanist. I reach for my new dress, the one I got on clearance and stashed away for this beautiful morning, but something's wrong. I look inside the ... read more

When you drop your nets on the shore, and follow Jesus, what can you expect? I've already written about the costs and difficulties of discipleship. I've mentioned the grace that compels us to continue down the hard, narrow path. I haven't mentioned the rewards yet, and on this joyful Easter ... read more

"Mom, you know what sin is, so don't do it." She says this to me after I've lost my temper. Failure, again. When I apologize, I can't help the tears. The kids have hardly ever seen me cry. I'm not a public crier. "Mom, you teasing?" asks my three-year-old. No. Mommy's sin struggles are no joke. ... read more

“I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death” (Romans 7:10). Paul spent his early years striving after perfection, but the avenue through which he sought life, actually delivered a death sentence. Why? Because the law points us to Christ. It cannot save ... read more

Following Jesus is hard. The road of discipleship is a road of obedience. “He cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit,” Jesus said to the disciples, explaining the work of the Gardner, his Father. Becoming like Christ means getting pruned: sharp, pinching cutters, clamping down on sin ... read more