I want to be interested. I think it is one way to live well. To be interested is to care, to learn. I was in St. Louis earlier this month and went to the Saint Louis Art Museum. Among the things that caught my eye at the Museum was a painting of Halsey Cooley Ives. Anders Leonard Zorn, Haley Cooley Ives, 1894-95, oil on canvas Like me, you may not be familiar with him. What I learned was that he was the first director of the Museum. A well-known portrait artist, Anders Leonar

Do you have a sensory superpower? I recall noticing that a close friend of mine had a superpower of smell. It was so obvious to me because I was not able to smell as they could. All kinds of things were connected to their sense of smell that seemed a bit foreign to me. My husband sometimes jokes that I have hawk eyes. I see things. I have always liked the beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” It is quite amazing the way our eyes were designed. Al

There is a beautiful flowering bush blooming outside my window. It is filled with white flowers from top to bottom. We have had this bush for many years. I always find it a wonder when it is in full bloom, especially because just a few weeks earlier, all it had to show for itself was some bare branches. I have to admit that while I would love to always be blooming, I often go through a lot of bare-branched days. As one person said, “Every flower blooms in its own time.” It’s

Certain words are both so common and at the same time so profound that they seem almost indescribable. These are words you know best through experience. Grace is one of those words. Our goal here is to consider how living into the word grace could help us grow in faith. Here are at least four ways we can experience grace: Grace is love. “The Lord longs to be gracious to you.” (Isa 30:18) God’s gracious longing to love us runs throughout the Bible. In the beginning, God was ev

I love the word listen. I want to be a good listener and grow into a better one. That could be part of the secret of listening. Psychologist David Benner points out that most people already think they are good listeners. That may be part of the problem. Just because we hear doesn't mean that we have heard. You may be familiar with the parable of the sower that Jesus shares with his followers. Have you noticed that it is about listening? Jesus ends the parable saying “Consider

An old song refrain came to mind as I thought about the word ‘stay’: “Should I stay or should I go?” By this time of year, you may want to go away from the goals, intentions, or plans you made when the new year started.” Stay with yourself. Stay with your best thoughts. Stay with your good goal or with the thing you need to do. As the old saying goes - stay the course. It is not only resolutions that may prompt us to go. There seems to be something in us that wants what’s bet

“Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts.” Col 3:15 Hopes. Dreams. Goals. Resolutions. Ideals. Plans. Projects. Habits. Change. Possibilities. Have you been hearing about it? Thinking about it? Do you already have a plan? A word? A goal? I am entering the new year gently - peacefully. I have been hosting out-of-town guests and enjoying our college-aged kids home from break. I have been trying to be in the moment. I have been taking it all in. It is not easy to live gently, b

How are you expectant? I can remember a time when I was expectant. The memory of it is significant because it was unlike anything I had ever done or experienced before. I was traveling to India to meet the parents of the man I later married. I had never been there. I didn’t know the language and was not very well informed about the culture. As I prepared to go, I wondered what it would be like. I wondered if his family would like me. I wondered if I would fit in. You can be e

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, all that is within me, bless thy holy name, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits - who forgives…who heals…who redeems…who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live. Ps 103:1-5 This is one of my favorite psalms. It tells us to bless and not to forget. We are to remember. When does forgetting begin for you? It often happens sooner than I would like! I sometimes forget to look at

The area where I live was once a farm. When it was developed into a residential area, they retained some land for farming. It is fun to drive by the farmland in the fall and witness the wonder of the harvest. You may be noticing some of the abundance of the harvest near you - piles of pumpkins, fresh apples, produce from a nearby farm, or just an overall sense of bounty as you think ahead to Thanksgiving. The harvest overflows with blessing, with goodness. Goodness is a word

I was a radio show host during my college years. The memory of it popped into my mind as I thought about the word engage . We called our...

One of the secrets to a life lived well is to learn to be open. It’s often only after we open our minds to a new way of understanding or...

An icy cold drink on a hot day. A cool breeze at the summit of a long hike. A clear kitchen countertop to greet you. An encouraging word from a loved one during a challenging time. These are some things that refresh. We need refreshment. We were made to be refreshed. We hear a lot about rest. We need rest. Many of us need more rest. But did you know that we need more than that? We need a rest that leads to refreshment. This is how things were intended to be. It is a sign of a

To flow is to move - to glide. To flow is to go somewhere and come from somewhere. To flow is not to be stuck. You can flow or be in the...

The word notice is worth taking note of. It is gentle yet has the potential to change everything. My children sometimes tease me about my affinity for cozy mysteries. I do not like the fact that they often involve murder, but I do like that there is an element of problem-solving and the best detectives are good at noticing small things. Over time, mysteries may have helped me want to notice more in my own life. There are so many things to notice. It is common to hear the invi

I like the word "arise." It reminds me of the dawn of a new day, Easter, and the promise of life. It also reminds me of the importance of...

To linger is to continue or stay longer. To linger is to lengthen your attention, focus, or experience. I love the word linger. Your...

Delight is a joy you experience. It comes in a sunrise, a sunset, or innumerable moments between. Delight comes in things you can count...