Dec 23, 2013 | Being a Minister, DEAR ADDIE
Dear Addie, When I was a college student, I said yes to God’s call to ministry. I imagined being part of something holy, something bigger than myself. I wanted to give myself to the work of making the world a better place. Now, after several years in ministry, I feel...
Dec 17, 2013 | Advent/Lent, Encouraging Words
I finished a handmade Christmas gift for a friend. So excited to have it completed, I held it up to admire, and the art was off center in the frame. Off center equals imperfection, and what I had thought was completed now required another attempt. The decorations on...
Nov 25, 2013 | DEAR ADDIE
Ministers live with questions. What do I say to that? Have I preached this before? What would make this right? What am I expected to do? What should I do? (And what do I do when these answers differ?) Some questions can be answered in a day: Does she need a visit? Who...
Nov 20, 2013 | Encouraging Words, Finding God in the Everyday
Audrey and Eve love stories about their younger selves. Often, a particular story will be requested. Last night Audrey turned to me and said, “Tell that story about me and Eve at the playground and how Eve said, ‘Little friend.’” And the story is: When Eve was four...
Nov 6, 2013 | Being a Minister
I grew up on a dairy farm. In addition to cows, we had horses, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats. When you spend your formative years on a working farm, you should expect some animal husbandry to slip into your conversation now and again. So I shouldn’t have been so...
