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the chair in the wall and the dance of our life

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And [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:18-20 I was sitting next to my friend at Finley’s ballet class yesterday…

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how to really succeed in life

By | article, celebrating, choosing, failure, family, Joy | 2 Comments

Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back…

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god’s dream for us is revolution

By | article, choosing, diversity, dreams, faith, family, forgiveness, friendship, God, grace, problems | 2 Comments

“Good morning, Revolution: You’re the very best friend I ever had. We gonna pal around together from now on.” -Langston Hughes   Some things have changed a lot since Langston Hughes wrote those words, but we are still awaiting the deep work of revolution to take its place in our world and in our lives. We need some miracles. Christianity, at its roots, offers us the opportunity to live beyond the comfortable and the usual in our…

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my window prayer for belonging

By | article, faith, family, friendship, God, hope, prayer, shame, spiritual disciplines, vulnerability | One Comment

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone…

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what i’m reading: spring 2017

By | article, books, what i'm reading | 2 Comments

  Happy Spring, everyone! Here in Texas, the bluebonnets are lining all the highways, and we are basking in or two weeks of perfect weather before the onslaught of endless heat hits us. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine made the mistake of asking me what I’m reading. I think I overwhelmed him a teensy bit with my twenty minute long answer. In my defense, I was given a gift card to…

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oy with the poodles already

By | article, dreams, fear, love | No Comments

Last weekend, I was having an all-too-frequent moment of insecurity. I’m not sure there’s a way to avoid these here on earth, as long as we’re clothed in this fading flesh of ours. Everyone I know is afraid they may not be enough now and then. Gosh, we’re a neurotically flawed bunch. I try not to wallow, though. As Lorelei would say: Oy with the poodles already. Oy with the poodles already is Gilmore Girls talk…

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how to get some happy in your life

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Raising kids is a roller coaster of emotionally epic proportions. It’s happy. It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. It leaves you screaming, crying, and coming back for more. It makes us all so tired and ready to lie down. Today my second boy is turning twelve. I really didn’t expect this unusual feat of miraculous aging when I first held him in my arms over a decade ago. I mean, I knew he would get older, of…

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what i’m reading: all the pretty things and others

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I just finished Edie Wadsworth’s beautiful memoir All the Pretty Things: The Story of a Southern Girl Who Went through Fire to Find Her Way Home. It was a deep and vulnerable and hope-filled story, and I think you guys will love it. It’s about loving flawed people, forgiving the unforgivable, and finding grace and forgiveness for your own failures. I finished Shauna Niequist’s Present Over Perfect a while ago, and the challenge it brought me…

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waiting, salvation, and the beauty of blooming late in life

By | article, choosing, failure, faith, God, lessons in life, trust | No Comments

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the…

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books: the new punk rock of our modern era

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Have you ever posted something on social media and then been surprised that so many people liked it and shared it? This was the photo and the text of my post:  “All of my kids are readers. Sometimes people ask how we “made that happen”. I don’t think we “tried” to make it happen, exactly, but I do believe some intentional choices opened the door to reading as a way of life in our home: …

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