Appalachian Disciple

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  • To Forgive Like Joseph

    Recently, I reread the life of Joseph, and I am so challenged by his words to his brothers in chapters 45 and 50. By chapter 50, his father, Jacob, has finally died and been buried. Joseph’s ten brothers, guilty of betraying him so horribly, were sure the ax was now,…

  • Honest Thoughts on Martha and Mary

    Jesus came to her living room, and she stayed in the kitchen. That’s me. I often do not sit at the Savior’s feet, though the opportunity is right under my nose. Luke says, “Martha was distracted…” (Luke 10:40)  I am distracted. I am distracted by what everyone needs to eat…

  • Buzz Lightyear, Michael W. Smith and Me

  • Making Bread

    I was sitting on an outdoor bench of the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, in downtown Chicago.  My husband was directing a brand new summer project, reaching out to the many Chicago universities.  I was there for six weeks with our 7, 5 and 1 year-olds in tow.  But I…

  • It’s Okay to Cry

    Twice in Revelation it says that God will “wipe away every tear from our eyes.”  I’ve always thought of that metaphorically; all the accumulated reasons I’ve had to cry — wiped away, gone!  And that sentiment is true.  But lately I’ve been thinking about how you buckle down through a…

  • Never Gonna Let Me Down

    Today in church we sang two different songs with the sentiment that Jesus is “never going to let us down.” Every time we sing a song with that phrase, I remember singing it in a service 10+ years ago, when my 3 year-old son tugged at my sleeve during the…

  • Angry at God

    My son is angry with me.  After a long crusade on his behalf to convince me that I should let him play a particular video game, his father and I finally gave him a hard “no.” Last night, he cried for hours in great, gulping sobs until he exhausted himself…

  • Here’s to the Praying Grandmas!

    I had a grandmother and great-aunts who prayed for me.  I know because I never saw my Great Aunt Bootsie but that she told me so, and Great Aunt Janie the same.  I took this totally for granted.  Shaking hands or giving hugs after church, hearing, “I’m praying for you!”…

  • Are We Not All Lot?

    This past year as my Bible study group worked in Genesis, I found myself unsettled by our discussions about Lot.  Nobody liked Lot.  He was Lot the selfish, choosing the well-watered Jordan Valley.  He was Lot the foolish, settling near the wicked city of Sodom.  He was Lot the impotent,…

  • Good Works

    Part One              So, I’m homeschooling my fourth child, and by now I’m a little thin on crafts.  I don’t want to dismiss them entirely, but over time I’ve decided that less is more (or to be more specific:  less crafts = more sanity.)  Nevertheless, in an effort to give…