Make that six. Six attempted or successful break-ins in our immediate neighborhood during the past two months. It’s almost to the point of hilarity. I mean, what is it about our tiny street that somehow made it land on someone’s radar of ‘good places to burgle’? Gah. After another restless night’s sleep, I woke up with anxiety tiptoeing on the edges of my emotions. It is so easy to convince myself that if something external changes, then something internal will, too. If only

Y’all, I’m trying. I really, really am. I’m trying not to get caught in the vortex swirl of current campaign. I’m trying not to slide over the edge into despair when learning of the latest atrocity taking place somewhere in the world. I’m trying to stay present and focused on the terrible beauty of life that surrounds me everyday instead of choosing to veg out in the distraction of the moment. So I’m trying to keep my mind focused on what is “true, honorable, just, pure, love

As John Ray started teaching on the Psalms of Ascent at Grace Church, I could only think that I was standing at the temple steps just a month ago worshiping and praising God in song. As I took a journey of a lifetime, to literally walk where Jesus walked was a profound spiritual experience. Even though I was told to expect it, I’m amazed at how the Bible now comes alive as I read and study scripture. The tour hosts continually called us pilgrims. In A Long Obedience in the Sa

“Things you say to your husband that you might also say to God.” Answer: “What is ‘the extended name of this blog post?’” Let me preface that title with a disclaimer: My husband is not God. Should be an obvious statement, sure, but I just wanted to get that out there! He and I are both flawed humans kept together by God’s grace, which is exactly the way I’d want things to be. Really, if we were a marriage of one flawed person and one perfect, it would be a very unhappy and sh

My dad called my mom from The Barn, our family’s restaurant down the street. “Where’s John?” Mom took a quick glance out the window into our shady backyard and saw me quietly playing. “Get him inside quick, and stay away from the windows,” Dad said. “There’s some guy in the Tower shooting people.” I am tired of the death toll, the body counts — heartbroken by the endless suffering and post traumatic shock of the survivors. Including my own. Even though we lived miles from the