living in light of eternity
Imagine you slept last night with the window cracked, and this morning as the sky grew light, you heard a persistent bird on a tree branch outside. It must have been a new bird in the neighborhood, because it was a tune you hadn’t heard, one haunting melody whistled again and again. Imagine you got... Continue Reading →
In the early days, to admit that I wanted to be a writer was painfully embarrassing. “What are your hobbies?” someone would ask. “Um, nothing really.” The asker’s eyebrows would freeze into question marks. But I hated being boring, so desperately I’d cast about for a better answer. “I used to jog, but I have... Continue Reading →
Thwart me, Lord, when I am determined to drive down dead-end alleys. Thwart me when my pride goes before a shattering fall. Thwart me when I’m dazzled by fools’ gold and mesmerized by shiny surfaces, when I pass up eternal to run hard after temporary. Thwart me when I give you slapdash but you want... Continue Reading →
We used to work with an almost-empty-nester who was fond of saying she is a one ball bouncer. “I can’t juggle lots of things,” she would say, matter-of-fact. “I can do one thing well at a time.” I marveled at her insistence on this as I spun through my to-do lists. Baby bathed? Check. Hosting... Continue Reading →
"I have never seen much point in getting heavy with stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to... Continue Reading →
So I’m writing a paper for grad school. (And yes, I did give in and enroll, but that’s a story for another day.) Here’s my assignment: What evidence do we have for the existence of Jesus outside of the Bible? Do we have any proof that he was a historical person at all? Was he,... Continue Reading →
Kate, circa 1986: Magic 8 Ball, will I ever have a house with secret tunnels and an elevator? Don’t count on it. Will I live among gypsies in Spain? My sources say no. Be a teacher? You may rely on it. Marry the red-headed boy? Outlook not so good. Write a best-seller? (Magic 8 Ball... Continue Reading →
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? (Matthew 5:46-47, HCSB) I'm hurt, and if I’m honest, I’m angry. Sad... Continue Reading →
So Jesus had a knack for asking questions that threw people a little off-balance. Questions that provoke anger, exposing his enemies, questions that stick in a person's head and poke, like irritants introduced to an oyster. Eventually, over time, maybe that irritant will produce a pearl. As many smart people have observed, Jesus asked way... Continue Reading →
Maybe if you're a parent, you've heard the term bandied around -- "executive functioning." It's a set of skills that some of us, well, lack -- the ability to be efficient, be organized, Get It Together. It comes up in conversation along with words like underperforming, procrastination, and Attention Deficit Disorder. It's my nemesis. And... Continue Reading →
Catherine's Letters 