One Quiet Life

I'm your mama now. Coming from anyone else, it would have been presumptuous. Only a few days had passed since I held Mama's hands and whispered goodbye. Yet there she was, the beautiful lady holding my hands and looking at me with eyes full of motherly love. In reality she had already been mothering me for a long time, but on that day the Lord knit our hearts together even more tightly. Lately I've been leaning on her more than usual. She understands my need for Christmas . She listens. She prays for me. She loves me well. I am the daughter she didn't have. She is the mother I now have. I know Mama would understand. She would approve. Several of my friends have written thought-provoking articles about women's ministry recently ( Persis' post here links to all the others). Although I'm late to the discussion, I've spent a great deal of time pondering where I fit into women's ministry. I still don't have the answers, but I do know that I...

I'm not sure when I've been so happy to turn the calendar page. October was suddenly and unexpectedly difficult this year. Grieving with friends through tragedy. Marking my girl's final birthday at home. Senior year expenses that I'm quite sure will never end. Walking with my girl through the stress of college essays and applications. A painful truth that I didn't want to acknowledge, but can no longer ignore. Though even in these trials the Lord has been good, knowing that hasn't erased the hard of it all. There were days when I wanted nothing more than to crawl under my covers and weep. October is gone and I am relieved. I am thankful . In this month of gratitude, I am: ~Just finished with a book that was so beautifully written , it took my breath away at times ~Thrilled that the college applications have nearly all been submitted ~Anxiously awaiting to see where the Lord will place my girl next year ~Planning ways to make this holid...

Today I'm at Out of the Ordinary, sharing my thoughts on the latest round of Christian disputes.  Join me, won't you?

Darkness falls earlier while temperatures fall lower. The air is filled with sounds of tractors humming and smells of earth turned over. A few brave leaves sever their ties and waft to the ground. The farmers market is ablaze in deep greens and oranges. Autumn is upon us. In these early days of the new season, I am: Reading more books. Using the tea kettle more frequently. Savoring my girl's final year of high school. Celebrating her birthday. Cleaning out cabinets and closets. Enjoying clean spaces. Anticipating bonfires. Thanking God for the gift of this quiet life.

In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul describes four factions within the church at Corinth.  He sees that the church is fracturing over non-gospel issues. He urges them to agree, to be united in the same mind and the same judgment. David Prior points out that Paul was keen ...on harmony - not unison. He believed that it was not merely possible for Christians of many different kinds to live together in harmony, but that this was their calling from God. Such mutual recognition, giving each person the freedom to express his convictions and insights, would lead to a restoration of true unity... ( source )  This group of believers had come together in a largely immoral city. There was enough opposition to Christianity outside of the church; they certainly didn't need to be fighting against each other. Yet they found themselves divided into cliques. The "Paul" Followers. Perhaps they were devoted to Paul because he planted the church and he was the first one to lead them in the...

I was at Out of the Ordinary this week, so my blogging time doesn't allow for much of a post. Here's  a quote from the commentary I'm reading on 1 Corinthians. Whenever Christians give their allegiance to any human personality, such as a gifted preacher or pastor, they have taken their eyes off Jesus Christ and there will inevitably be disunity. - David Prior More to come on this next week...

Last week I wrote about my need to declutter physical stuff. As I've been doing that, I've come up with the Rule of Two. First of all, the Rule of Two implies that I have no more than two of anything. Of course there are obvious exceptions such as clothing, books, shoes, etc. And while I need more than two dinner plates, do I really need more than two Christmas platters? Yes I need more than two coffee mugs, but what about two water pitchers? Asking myself these questions has given me the freedom to let some things go, and enough cabinet space to clean off the kitchen counters. Sometimes  two is the perfect number. Sets of sheets, for example. Usually laundered sheets go back on the beds, but there are days when it's so much easier to make a bed with the second set and do the laundry later. My need for the occasional convenience outweighs the need for the storage space occupied by the extra sets. Sometimes two is too many. Why have two small baskets on a counter,...