living in light of eternity
They had been in decline for years—maybe decades. Finally, there were only about 30 people, grimly hanging on. One dear lady recalled weeping in an empty nursery. There was no strength left. There was little life at all. "How long until the money runs out?" they wondered. They calculated it was a matter of months. It... Continue Reading →
One of the great things about having a teenager is that they're like... people. It is so fun to share common interests with your big old grown up kid. My oldest son and I both like to geek out about writing, and he is making plans for NaNoWriMo this November (National Novel Writing Month, for... Continue Reading →
Whatever else gender is, it is always this: a shadow on the ultrasound. “There, do you see it?” The technician is excited. Mom and Dad scratch their heads and feign understanding. Some mystery has transpired under the smooth bowling ball of a young woman’s belly, and deep in this secret place, a person is taking... Continue Reading →
I am not an expert on Eugene Peterson—don’t know him personally, haven’t read all of his many writings. But I’d be hard pressed to think of many people who have more shaped my thinking over the years, who have more consistently drawn my eyes to the glory of Christ. Peterson strikes me as a meteor,... Continue Reading →
This week I had the bittersweet pleasure of finishing a wonderful book. I’d read it slowly, savoring it in morsels, and it has taken up space on my bedside table for many moons. But I was near the end, and, having had a rather bad day, gave in to the guilty delight of finishing it... Continue Reading →
It's been a year since I got to join my husband on his first field trip to England. He's just gone again and returned, and of course, this meant pulling out old pictures and reminiscing (not at all jealous!) One of the funny moments we still laugh about was an afternoon in Oxford when we... Continue Reading →
My home state is bracing for it today. Home Depot’s out of generators, and Harris Teeter’s shelves of bread are looking bare. All of the inland hotels are booked up, and flights west are full. There is a hurricane on the way, and not a little one. The summer I was 12, Hurricane Charley visited... Continue Reading →
Because it's just so good... Here's A.W. Tozer on dismissing what we don't understand. Thomas Carlyle, following Plato, pictures a man, a deep pagan thinker, who had grown to maturity in some hidden cave and is brought out suddenly to see the sun rise. “What would his wonder be,” exclaims Carlyle, “his rapt astonishment at... Continue Reading →
If you're seeing this post on my Facebook feed, then no doubt you've also seen a dozen stories of Christian scandals pop up even today—so-called Christian politicians or disgraced pastors or division between Christian groups, stories that would rightly make a thinking person wonder why anyone would want to associate with those people at all.... Continue Reading →
I've got one last story for you today! This one is from a sweet friend whose staying and going has had huge personal impact on our family, on our church. Although they are momentarily unable to go back overseas as they'd like, in their staying they are hard at work raising up other go-ers. How... Continue Reading →
Catherine's Letters 