The bad news is: so many of us are living fragmented lives. We don’t experience oneness because we’re starved for God’s glory. The good news is: you can experience more oneness, and more glory, in your life. Here’s one way: Notice God’s glory where it’s already on display around you. Cultivating this awareness is […]
Stretched to Be a Blessing
Last week, I wrote about אשר, a Hebrew word we translate “blessed”,“happy”, or “righteous”. At it’s core, it’s a picture of being held in the teeth, stretched, and straightened. I said that straightening under pressure is what Jesus meant when He said “blessed”. And that’s true. That is the core of the word, the […]
Is this the Blessing You Expected? Me Neither
Do you ever look at your life and ask yourself, “Is this what I signed up for”? For decades, I chased the elusive promise of “blessing”. I wrestled with God, unwilling to let go until He blessed me. The results have been…unexpected. More and more lately, I’ve thought “This isn’t what I signed up […]
If You’re Reading this, You’re my Competitor. Here’s Why:
I caught two thieves in the act. They conspired to deceive me even while appearing to be enemies. These two thieves are comparison and complacency. Comparison robs you by shining the spotlight on what isn’t. Whether you’re comparing expectations to reality, or your reality to someone else’s, comparison is the thief of joy. Complacency […]
We Quit Praying before Meals. What Happened next Surprised Us All:
If you’re thinking “She’s gone off the deep end this time”, let me explain: For the last couple of weeks we’ve been talking about rhythms of attention. (here’s an explanation and an example from our family if you missed those). Many other rhythms flow from this one. Reading the Torah daily prompted us to […]
It Felt like a Punch to the Gut. It Turned into the Best Mother’s Day Gift Ever.
A few months ago I wrote about the time God told me to get a life. It felt like a punch to the gut. Later I realized I wasn’t the only mom who felt like she’d lost herself. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’ve sacrificed to be there for your family, and later felt […]
This Will Destroy your Life. In the best possible Way.
Last week we talked about how people who aren’t creatures of habit (but crave some order in their lives) benefit from rhythms of attention. If that’s you, you can read it here. There’s one rhythm of attention that forms the foundation for our family. I can’t think of a more subversive rhythm to build […]
Do You See Dead People?
(Did you know you can tweet any text on this blog just by highlighting it? Try it for yourself!) When it comes to Passover, there’s too much. Too much love, too much anguish, too much joy. It’s easier to go numb than confront all that blood and power and beauty. So every year, a few […]
They Tried to Kill Us…Let’s Eat?!
There’s a joke that every Biblical Holiday can be summed up like this: They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat. It’s actually pretty accurate. Read the history of Passover and you’ll notice it starts with death threats, and ends with a lamb roast. Hanukkah starts with guerrilla warfare and ends with doughnuts. And […]
Don’t Have Faith. Do this Instead:
‘Faith’ is a word we all use and think we understand. But what’s God’s definition of faith? How does that definition change the way we live today? How can we know the meaning of ancient Hebrew words? In our culture, words are abstract combinations of symbols, disconnected from their meanings. Meanings change over time, and […]