I think of my prayer life as a journey. As a child, I prayed by kneeling at my bed, and by bowing my head at meals and in church services. I knew to thank God and ask him for my needs.  As a young adult, and since then, I’ve been exposed to different churches and different expressions of faith and worship. This exposure has broadened my realization of the many ways we can meet God in prayer: communicating our praise, our needs, and our love for him.  I’ve come to realize that our prayers are the expression of our spirit, influenced by the Scriptures, worship and culture. We can be enriched by praying alone or with other believers.  And then I’m struck by the fact that the Apostle Paul calls us to “unceasing prayer” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). So I’ve learned that we can incorporate our prayers into a daily “thought life” where we have constant communication with God, praying through what happens during our day and seeking his guidance as it unfolds. As a result, prayer can ha...

Our family of origin can make quite a difference in the way we respond to life, can’t it?  As in many families, sometimes things are “caught” more than “taught”, and that certainly was the case in mine. My father’s parents were Scandinavians, often known for being tough and enduring people, who aren’t highly emotive. I love my family, and I love the many great things I learned from them. However, on the emotional side of life, what was modeled was to bury everything deep inside. I grew up thinking that the way to handle life was to persevere at all costs, to be emotionally tough, and to never admit weakness.  So that’s what I did. In my 30’s, I started to face the consequences of this kind of behavior. I faced damage in my life because sometimes I submerged my feelings (by claiming that “nothing’s wrong), sometimes I hid my feelings (by crying alone in the shower), and sometimes I denied my feelings (by keeping busy).  Clearly, I struggled to understand and express my ...

These past weeks have shown us – if we didn’t realize – what happens when fire comes sweeping through a community. For some, this is the first up-close and personal look of the power…and the cost…of fire. Fire is a big deal to me, ever since I watched our RV burn years ago, just after we scrambled out of it to the side of the freeway. It’s not just that fire and smoke destroyed it – and many things in it – it’s more what happened inside me as I responded to it. The pain and trauma of that moment has long gone, but during it I felt a sense of danger, harm and fear. Trauma can occur when we face a perceived threat or dangerous situation. It is an unconscious reaction to bad things that are happening or have happened. Depending on our different personal experiences, history, and personality, the same event can provoke different reactions within each of us. It could be loss, grief, numbness, fear, confusion, disorientation…or some combination of these things. And the intensity of these re...

I don’t often close the windows of our house in early September, but I found myself doing it this week to keep out the smoke of the nearby wildfires. And this unusual, unseasonal behavior got me thinking about windows.  Windows.  I love windows. They can give us wonderful views of the outside world, and where I live, that’s a gift to see. I love watching the trees dance in the wind, the flowers open their petals to the sun, and the stretch of open land filled with greenery that leads down to the nearby river. When I look out my windows, I normally am reminded of the goodness and greatness and creativity of our great God.  So my windows usually provide a view of a world I want to see. A world of beauty. This week, though, it’s all changed. Smoke from the nearby fires surround and envelop our decades old trees, smoke fills our garden with a yellow tinge to the point where day seems almost like night. Our porch is covered with ash.  It’s a bit freaky. And so, I close th...

When I was in 6th or 7th grade, I realized I was getting bigger and taller than many of the other girls (and even some of the boys). I was so disappointed! I wanted to be cute and petite but was feeling big and awkward. My body was not cooperating!  But since then I’ve accepted the truth: I was meant to be tall with wide shoulders. I’ve been able to appreciate and even enjoy it, most of the time.  Just about every woman I meet wishes she could change one of her physical attributes – height, body structure, eye color or maybe hair texture. At some point, though, we need to acknowledge that God has chosen otherwise for us.  Along with accepting our physical attributes, God asks us to accept His control, reflect His purposes, and be a conduit of His love. That can be a tall order when we realize our weaknesses and selfishness. Altering these attitudes and behaviors can be much more difficult to embrace than even accepting some physical attributes we don’t like! Accept His Co...

Scene 1: It was a pleasant and fairly warm fall day when we settled into the plane and began our flight across country to our new home in Chicago. I was excited about our destination and yet, in the months ahead, I experienced times of soul starvation due to loneliness and adjusting to new conditions (people, weather, culture, jobs). Scene 2: It was a pleasant and fairly warm fall day when we squeezed into our cars and started traveling north to our new home in Oregon. I was excited about our destination and yet, in the months ahead, I experienced times of soul starvation due to similar feelings of loneliness and adjustment. Scene 3: It was a cool day in March when I woke up, ready to see the new flowers that welcome spring in Oregon, and to make that week’s connections with people and needed tasks. But there was something very wrong. The pandemic had exploded and our state was shutting down. I realized I was heading into a time of greater social isolation where I would experience som...

This is the fifth in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. It all started with a curling iron. We were newly married, and funds were tight. I wanted to go away and Bruce agreed. We either could have a few days at a fancy place or go camping. I said I’d go camping if he could get me a curling iron that worked with no plug.  A few weeks later, he came home brandishing a propane one…and that was the start of our camping adventures.  Camping can be dirty, messy and inconvenient. Especially when our kids came along and I found myself nursing in the night, working on potty training, and bathing kids in small bins while camping in a tent. Yet it’s been a life-long, ongoing adventure. We’ve taken short trips to one place, and long trips where we stopped in many places. Our gear has evolved over the years, but we’ve never lost our love of camping. I realize that some of the things we’ve done while on camping trips could have been done at home. But just becau...

This is the fourth in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. The “sacred” invites us to see something as special, as set apart. The sacred invites us to experience God in a way that speaks to our minds and to our hearts. Today I want to highlight Communion – a sacred act Jesus implemented.  I want to highlight this because I think we all can take this ceremony for granted. And yet, it is such a powerful reminder of what Jesus has done – and will do – for us.  Who were the first people to take communion?  On the last night of Jesus’ life, he and his friends met for the annual Passover meal. As a religious Jew, Jesus had taken the Passover Meal for years. The elements and words repeatedly spoken told the story of God’s angel of death passing over the homes of the Israelites when it came to Egypt. Every year, the Jews re-told the story of God’s promises, deliverance and redemption. The symbolism for the Jews was powerful.  But on this last ni...

Th is is the third in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. What kind of simple activities do you enjoy? The “simple” invites us to engage in the moment –to place our attention in what is happening right now. The simple can help us lay aside the burdens of yesterday and the tasks of tomorrow.  Have you ever been fruit picking? Until I was an adult, I had little experience in picking fruit. I bought most of my fruit in our local suburban market. Since we moved to Oregon, I have had many more opportunities.  But today I want to tell you about some of my first experiences as an adult: enjoying the unexpected pleasures of fruit picking while traveling.  Several years ago, our family was on the way to a camping spot in Fruta, Utah, and saw a sign for picking peaches. At the entrance it said you only would be charged for the fruit you took out of the farm…not the fruit you ate on the tree. With big smiles, our three kids quickly climbed the ladders i...

This is the second in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. The “simple” invites us to relax and enjoy a variety of pleasant experiences – without analyzing or even evaluating.  The “sacred” invites us to see something as special, set apart, not for common use. This definition could apply to a number of things, including taking communion, participating in a Sunday morning worship service, or even offering prayers that Christians have shared through the centuries.  Today I want to highlight sacred music, because “music is the prayer the heart sings”. The point of sacred music is to experience God in a way that speaks to both our minds and our hearts. Such music can be experienced in any number of places, in any number of ways, with any number of voices or instruments. · In a candlelit sanctuary in England, in a very formal service, I listened to a choir of children’s voices.  · In a camp tent at a college retreat, a staff leader ...

This is the first in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. I think there is a place for both the simple and the sacred in our lives.  The challenge is that we can forget to take time to experience the simple pleasures of life or feel we should have grown beyond them. A simple pleasure or task is something that is easy to understand – no demanding thinking or figuring on this one.  The other challenge is that we can become rooted in how we believe connecting to God should look. This can preclude learning and growing in our relationship with him. The word and concept of sacred, simply means that something is connected to God or dedicated to a spiritual purpose.  So for the next set of blogs, I will highlight either a simple pleasure or a sacred practice. I hope these will be an encouragement to you, and help you experience God in some vibrant and delightful ways.  Today’s blog highlights the simple pleasures.  We've forgotten ...

This is the seventh and final post highlighting lessons we can learn                                                from a variety of different Bible characters. [From Judge 4-5)  Deborah sits under a palm tree, helping to resolve disputes and adjudicate law cases. As Israel’s judge and prophet, people come from far and wide to hear her reasoned deliberations. She has a unique position, for she is the only female judge the Israelites have had and is a leader for her people.  One day, having felt a strong prodding from the Lord, Deborah summons an Israelite general named Barak. She relays a message that is God’s command - gather men for battle against their Canaanite oppressors. As a prophetic leader, her job is to sing encouraging war chants – and a victory song – during and after the battle.  But Barak wants more from her tha...

This is the sixth of seven posts highlighting lessons we can learn from a variety of different Bible characters. [From 2 Kings 4:1-7] The woman faces her day with groans of sadness and despair. She is destitute. Her husband - a member of the prophetic guild - has died, and her debts are beyond any ability she has to pay. In fact, the creditor is coming to take her two grown sons… as payment …which means they will be enslaved for the rest of their lives. She cannot see a way to stave off what seems inevitable: not enough food to supply her needs, not enough money to save her sons. She will lose her sons and become a beggar. In a moment like this, where can turn? Who is willing and available to help? She cries out to Elisha. Elisha the prophet. Elisha knew her husband, so he perhaps might consider aiding her in some way. Thankfully, Elisha does come. Yet when he shows up, he does not arrive with an answer…but with a question: “Tell me, what do you have in your house?” The widow repl...

This is the fifth of seven posts highlighting lessons we can learn from a variety of different Bible characters. [From Judges 16] You’re going about your business when there’s a knock at the door. You open it to find several men who declare themselves to be agents of your country’s government, along with a few of the most influential leaders.  You’re in shock. You’re tongue-tied. Why are they here?  To tell you that the country’s top enemy is in love with you. He is a proven threat to the nation, because he already has used his incredible strength to kill many of your countrymen.  These leaders need your help. They ask you to discover just one little thing: the secret of the big man’s strength. You can save thousands of lives if you can find out that information. And don’t worry, nothing really bad is planned. If this enemy can be captured, they’ll just tie him up to keep him from doing further damage. Wouldn’t you want to help your country in such...