If you’re familiar with the Holy Spirit, you know how He convicts people of wrong behaviors. A friend of mine calls this uncomfortable awareness, “That stabby feeling.” I got an annoying case of the ‘stabbies’ late last month and have been wrestling with it ever since. It started with borrowing my teen son’s bible. I opened his bible randomly and read aloud this verse in Isaiah 32:9. “You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say!”   I immediately got the stabby feeling and wasn’t sure why. Was God trying to tell me something?  Was I being…

April 30, 2017 · Updated May 3rd, 2020 I went to church today with the six youngest children in tow. The pastor preached about Hebrews chapter 11, which is the “Who’s Who” of faithful people in the Bible.  Every verse starts with the same phrase “By faith…” By faith Noah built the ark, by faith Abraham offered Isaac, by faith Sarah had a baby in her old age, by faith the prostitute Rahab was not killed because she hid spies. There are many people mentioned, and their names are still remembered long after their deaths – because of their faith.The pastor said if our faith was sagging or lagging – we should read…

I recently read the English phrase “At sixes and sevens” in a book written by a British author.  It’s used to describe ‘a condition of confusion or disarray.’   What we Americans like to call a “hot mess.” No matter what you call it in your corner of the world, you know it when it happens. Mine seems to happen around holidays without fail. Easter for my family is already streamlined. No baskets with chocolate bunnies, no egg hunts. To be honest, there are many Easter Sundays I have skipped church as that is when church attendance swells, and it overwhelms my introvert nature to the point of anxiety. The younger…

In the midst of the Corona virus, there has been a critical shortage of masks for healthcare workers. The business world responded by shifting production to making masks or face shields. A quick Google search tells me that Fanatics, the official jersey manufacturer for Major League Baseball switched from creating jerseys to face masks. Bauer, a hockey equipment manufacturer based in New Hampshire is mass producing medical face shields for doctors and nurses. The sewing machines of craft-oriented helpers are working overtime too. According to Etsy CEO Josh Silverman, “There are now 20,000 shops on Etsy selling face masks.” Sewing face masks seem positively patriotic, but what about those of us who…

Lately all I hear about is the Corona virus. It’s kind of hard not to, as the topic is on every news station and social media feed. A “corona” virus is a common virus so named for its little “crown” of club shaped spikes seen under a microscope. Corona is the Spanish word for crown. I personally like the word ‘corona’ better than ‘crown.’ Crown rhymes with frown and I instantly think of a certain grumpy looking queen who has reigned since my dad was ten years old. Corona has more of a melodious sound to it. However, I’m partial to the Spanish language. It feels like the world has…

It’s a habit of mine to take daily walks in the cemetery across the street from my home. Sometimes I use my time to pray or seek God. Other times, I utilize the cemetery as a place to make a phone call or a video chat, uninterrupted by my children. I also listen to songs or sermons on my phone, depending on the mood I am in. All these purposes are fine, but they tend to be self-centered, if I am being honest. Yesterday was entirely different. God used a moment of divine mourning and sacrificial love to bring me closer to Him.  I was walking in the cemetery at…