living in light of eternity
I suppose everyone who's ever traveled very long or very far from home has had two epiphanies in common: All my life, I never knew __________ was wonderful.All my life, I never knew __________ was pathetic. You travel from the US to the UK and suddenly become very aware of the life-changing delight of clothes... Continue Reading →
Inclusive, therapeutic deism posits a benign encourager in the sky—not, perhaps, strong enough to combat evil, but certainly frowning upon unkindness; not, perhaps, miraculous, but certainly winsome. God is the best Ted Talk guy ever. Carefully snipping away bits of the Bible that seem, well, problematic, has left a holey book in place of a... Continue Reading →
We stayed in a tall narrow home on a steep street of tall narrow homes in a neighborhood called West Hampstead, north and west of London’s downtown. People walk there, carrying packages from the bakery or the butcher, waiting at corners to hop on red double-decker buses, holding umbrellas against the rain. Every house has... Continue Reading →
It occurred to me this morning as I boiled water to heat up our bath tub that this is really quite nice for a camping trip. I mean, we have comfy beds, wifi, even skylights in the bedroom for a breeze, so really, what do I have to complain about? We are staying in an... Continue Reading →
They arrive in the mail and show up on Facebook-- photos of that little girl we used to know, all dressed up in cap and gown, or that toddler now wearing a tie. It is the season of completions, and new beginnings-- graduation. But it is a different kind of commencement at our house this... Continue Reading →
Are you still shock-able? Several times recently, a Christ-follower on social media has shocked me completely. The circumstances have been very different—for instance, a writer publicly nursing a private wound, or in another case, a thinker and his Twitter followers howling out against injustice. In each case, someone lashed out, using the harshest language we... Continue Reading →
This morning there are a million things to do. Sticky things, like planning for a major trip--tickets, insurance, money, lists--the wrapping up of another school year, tests, did I do that yet? and what if I forget? I have that sense that if I am not careful, the world outside my windows will start to... Continue Reading →
It should have been a trip to the ICU, and instead it's just a bad hair day. Yesterday I did something really stupid, the sort of thing I would lambaste my children for. Unable to get my lighter to work, I threw a lit match into our gas grill. Predictably, this ignited a huge ball... Continue Reading →
The first overseas missionary I remember meeting was a single woman who lived in Africa. When I was a child, she stayed in our home for a week and gave me a lovely necklace of polished gray seeds that came from her beloved Angola. In the evenings, she told stories that danced in my young... Continue Reading →
Today I'd like to welcome my sweet friend Susan to the blog. It wasn't long ago that she shared a great story with me, and I asked if she'd write it out to share with all of you. This is a great reminder for me as a mom...and as a child. Don't you love how... Continue Reading →
Catherine's Letters 