Ten thousand hours is a good benchmark—that’s one hour a day, five days a week, for forty years (with two weeks of vacation each year!). If every Christian decided to spend 10,000 hours developing their capacity in a single cultural domain (painting, stress fracture analysis, genomic sequencing, you name it) and also 10,000 hours on [...]
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Light falls in the orchard, dappled among the gnarled limbs, and the apple blossoms fall too, a perfumed carpet for children’s bare toes. They’ve come, the children. Come to play under spring’s cloud of petals. They’ve come with teacups slid into great-grandma’s tapestry purse, a teddy bear stitched up for a long-ago birth, a blanket [...]
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It’s the slow, heaving pant on the other end of the line that wakes me. No words in the receiver, just this heavy, exaggerated exhale of a body. My brow crinkles. I don’t open eyes, searching for a way out of dreams, to figure out who, why. And then a voice, hardly audible: “I think [...]
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Sky’s flushing red from today’s long race and children lie in beds and I sit on worn chair in the hallway. It’s my nightly post, seat at day’s finish line. From chair there under light, I open pages and read into doorways, into those bedrooms with children tucked under quilts, children waiting (or not) for [...]
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They’ve captured me on film wearing it, like a toga slung over one shoulder, like a mantle flung over and hanging, and sometimes I wave hands, waving off that clicking shutter because I’m wearing this thing, and sometimes, frankly, I entirely forget that it’s there, it flowing from me. And yet there are ways, after all these years, [...]
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It’s 11 a.m. and Toddler’s crying. Her brother kicked her. I rock Toddler. And recap The Big Three with guilty brother: What did you do wrong? Why was it wrong? What are you going to do differently in the future? And then, as always, The Deal: Is that a commitment? Can I count on [...]
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"I love you, LORD. You are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my protection, my Savior. My God is my rock. I can run to Him for safety. He is my shield and my saving strength, my defender. I will call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I will be saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:1-3
There have been times in my life when I wondered if You were listening to me. Yet lately there is no doubt. I see You answer so concisely, Father. Can I ever praise You enough?! My words seem so insignificant at this moment. I thank You, O Lord, with what little I can offer. I am overwhelmed with Your tender grace. My heart overflows with joy and sweet peace because I sense Your great love for me. How could I ever live without You, God? I could not!
You are Life, You are Love, You are Listener. There is no other god but You. Thank You, Jesus, that when I came to the well seeking Your living water You freely gave and You continue giving every day. And now I will rest in knowing You have me and mine safe in Your hands. In Jesus Precious Name, amen.
This is my prayer for today,
Julie
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