Significance is a desire within us, a birthright. We each long to matter, to be extraordinary, to be outstanding, to be a unique contribution. We do not want to be ordinary. To be “ordinary” is to be “just another one of those.” Nobody wants more of the same. This is what draws us to Starbucks […]
"Tell me about a book you've read more than once." This is how you can find some of the best books in the world. If you ask me this question, I'll tell you about Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic. Big Magic is a book about creative living beyond fear. Fear is boring, and creativity calls […]
In his book, I Wrote This For You, Iaian Thomas wrote a breathtaking poem that I can't stop thinking about. In his words -- I hope that in the future they invent a small golden light that follows you everywhere and when something is about to end, it shines brightly so you know it's […]
I didn't write this, but I wish I did. And I don't know who needs to hear this, but I definitely did. "Cakes have gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always one person at the table who holds up her hand when I serve the cake. 'No […]
'Tis the season for all the sparkly things. I live in a house divided, and the majority of us are itching to deck the halls. One of us drags her feet, not so eager to bring up the boxes from the basement. For some of us, sparkly things are prickly things. I used to love […]
"I was brave?" the four-year-old asked. "You were -- you are brave," Eddie told her. "What does brave mean?" Ruth asked him. "It means that you don't cry," Eddie said. "I cried a little," Ruth pointed out. "A little is okay," Eddie told her. "Brave means that you accept what happens to you -- you […]
What's the deal with Christian art? Why is some of it - most of it - so boring, so two-dimensional? Who delights in two dimensions? Who delights in muted shades when we could see with brilliant color? Are we afraid we'll misrepresent God with an angry poem? A story without a happy ending? A dark painting? A […]
Once upon a time, I read the book My One Word. If you've been around for my writing, or teaching, or thinking out loud at a dinner party, you may know that book changed my life, revolutionizing the ways that I think about change, growth, and a New Year. As far as longevity and influence […]
Knock, Knock. Who's there? Something that should matter to you. Something that should matter to you - who? Yes. And also Where and When and How and For What Purpose and For What Cause. Everything matters. There's so much to care about. Everybody is giving me more things to care about. The headlines are […]
Three things have happened, and they are sorting themselves into the same space of my mind, as if they belong there together. First, I sat outside during a summer evening rain shower. The tasks of the day were finished, we were in the after-dinner space of each doing our own thing, and I was sitting […]
Every night, we have ice cream at 8:00. And some evenings, we have it at other times, because it's 8:00 somewhere. We are living it up in our locked up condition. Last night, before our evening constitution, Peter brought us all together at the dining room table. There were four cups of fruit punch and […]
Strapp held his wife’s hand as he drove, stealing glances at the photograph she held. This was the only picture they had of their son, a photo they received from their social worker. The boy looked to be about six years old, and he had dark skin, darker eyes, and black hair. Strapp and Julie […]
"I was reading a book a few weeks ago - I like to read first thing in the morning these days, with my coffee. So I was reading the book and I went to take a sip of coffee and I spilled on the book. I got all upset: 'Now look! I ruined the book! […]
We were in the car one day. The radio was on. The air conditioning was blowing at me. All three men of mine were talking or singing. The boys were playing some version of physical jackassery horseplay in the backseat. In total exasperation, I reached forward and turned off the radio and the air […]
"Words are things. I am convinced. You must be careful about the words you use, or the words you allow to be used in your house. In the Old Testament, we are told in Genesis that in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was God, and the Word was with God. That's in […]
“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think […]
Yep. It snowed. Quite a bit, actually. Summer break starts on Friday, the community pools open on Monday, and we are in several inches of snow in Colorado. It's all Facebook can talk about. We are a whole city irritated. The tree limbs all look so defeated today. All bent over, hanging low, burdened. No, […]
My father used to give this advice to my sister and me as we were preparing to go out on a date. "Turn. Let me see you," he would say approvingly. "You look beautiful." Then he would add the words he always said before we went out--words that every daughter needs a father to say: […]
This book is remarkable, beautiful, and tangible. So few things in the world are all three. I want everyone to read it. Jason and Sara have five children, and their sweet boy tucked right in the middle is named Jack. Jack has severe autism. Autism can be a dark place with few answers. One of […]
"Good books (and even some poor ones) can change us to be more like Christ. That deep change is always a work of God, his subversion and transformation. But we either cooperate with it, or not." ~ Mark Buchanan, Spiritual Rhythm
