living in light of eternity
From Thirty Thousand Days! "We are very, very small. Consider for a moment that there are over 100 billion stars in the Milky Way alone, and that the Milky Way is only one of billions of galaxies. Try to fathom for a moment the unfathomable distance between each of these perpetually exploding balls of gas... Continue Reading →
When I was pregnant with our first kiddo, Michael and I were invited to a missions conference at my home church in NC. In the kickoff event, we missionaries were invited up on stage under the glare of a dozen bright spotlights and introduced. I remember standing there a little dazzled, feeling the hot lights... Continue Reading →
It's Labor Day. Break out the cooler, splash some mud, kick back. Summer slid by in a sticky blur -- are you ready for fall? Today we celebrate the end of vacation, gear up for another year of vocation. We are back to work -- ordinary, beautiful, work. Today we play, tomorrow we ply our... Continue Reading →
We wrapped it up last night, our study of Ecclesiastes. The Preacher has taken us one by one down a maze of dead-end roads, pushing us past our pat answers. As Derek Kidner says, "The searching questions he has asked are those that life itself puts to us, if we will only listen. He can... Continue Reading →
"Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never come in busyness. They grow in rest." — Mark Buchanan "Sabbath observance invites us to stop. It invites us to rest. It asks us to notice that while we rest, the world continues without our help. It invites us to delight in the... Continue Reading →
What can we do when we're lost in the dark? How can we confront the absurdities of life on a fallen planet? What does it mean to choose light? Last night we talked about this idea of choosing light, setting our hearts on things above, consciously turning away from darkness that could swallow us whole.... Continue Reading →
So enjoyed our conversation about spiritual battle Sunday night! It went right along with this gem from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening... Stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord. (Exodus 14:13) "These words contain God's command to the believer when he is reduced to great straits and brought into extraordinary difficulties. He cannot... Continue Reading →
Chapter 7 of Ecclesiastes--another fascinating bit of ancient wisdom! While it did contain a sprinkling of sound relationship advice (especially what to avoid), it wasn't a perfect match for our chapter of Thirty Thousand Days, "Love Deeply." The closest fit for that idea would have come from Ecclesiastes chapter 9, where the Preacher exuberantly says,... Continue Reading →
Miss Erika brought it again this week as she shared with us her thoughts on holding loosely. It led to an interesting discussion of idolatry -- what is an idol? how would you know if you had one? how would you go about getting rid of it -- or would you want to? Hope you... Continue Reading →
We're halfway there! So far we have talked about the meaning of life (meaningless, meaningless-- or is it?), seeing eternally, wholeheartedness, walking with purpose, compassion, and generosity. Next on the docket, Hold Loosely. (Feel free to sing the 38 Special version if you grew up rollerskating to it.) Last night we peered into chapter 5... Continue Reading →
Catherine's Letters 