Every winter I hit that spot when it feels like winter will never leave. Here in Kansas we don't even have the beauty of glistening snow to brighten our days; except for rare snowfalls, the days are an endless succession of shades of brown. The trees are brown, the grass is brown, the street is …
Being raised Amish-Mennonite, and what it taught me
Recently a friend asked if I would write about some of the good things I've experienced from my heritage. I thought about it for a while, because describing the Amish-Mennonite way of life is much more complicated than it may seem at first glance. Amish and Mennonite denominations have huge variations among their congregations. Even …
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Shame and Criticism
Is shame the only thing that grows into criticism? Is criticism always based in shame? Some of you asked these questions after I wrote about criticism's mother. No. As I stated in my last post, criticism can be healthy. Even in unhealthy criticism, other causes can be present such as pride and hardness of heart. …
Criticism’s mother
Once in a while, a perplexity that has fogged my brain for a long time suddenly clears. That happened to me last weekend when I attended Inspire, a women's retreat in Indiana. The keynote speaker spent her sessions giving us a good dose of much-needed Christian psychology. Understanding how we are put together and how …
Writing, and better things
I'm slowly working on writing a post about being raised Amish Mennonite* and what it taught me. It's been an interesting subject to think about, especially after five years of living outside an Amish Mennonite community. Spoiler alert: I'm still very Amish-y. But writing is hard to get done these days, with a precious and …
Small Town Church
As our gray Ford Expedition pulled onto the road this morning, we caught a glimpse of our neighbor's blue Expedition speeding down a side street. "He's racing us!" Will said, laughing, finding his own shortcuts to take. We hurled down a back alley only to lose the race by a few seconds. But we all …
Giving Thanks
One of my favorite Thanksgiving songs has a verse in it that always grabs my heart. I thank Thee, too, that all our joy is touched with pain. That shadows fall on brightest hours, that thorns remain. So that earth's bliss may be our guide, and not our chain. -From My God I Thank Thee …
Why I Write
One of the best parts about blogging is the emails I receive from readers. I always feel honored to be allowed a peek into their hearts and lives. So many good friendships have been forged through these online connections. Occasionally I get feedback that could be helpful to improving the blog. One such email this …
When God doesn’t heal, and what it says about faith
Often I hear a particular narrative that bothers me. I just heard it again from a respectable pastor in a conservative, Bible-believing church. The scenario goes something like this. A man we will call Daniel gets very sick. He goes to the doctor and discovers that he is full of cancer. Now Daniel loves Jesus …
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The great grocery guilt monster
Have you ever noticed how women often talk about their grocery shopping and food preparation? Lady A is an expert at couponing, and tells glowing stories about getting a cart full of groceries and six bottles of Tide detergent for two dollars. Lady B talks about eating nothing but rice and beans and whatever she …
