Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “faith thoughts”
Once upon a time there was an author who wondered if anyone would ever read her books and enjoy them. Everywhere she looked, there was someone who sold more copies, hit more lists, and won more awards. The ways to measure success were everywhere. Numbers of reviews. Number of contracts signed. Even the number of books stolen to train AI. …
There’s something about the middle of August. It’s a time of bouquets of sharpened pencils and kids starting school. The temperatures are still blisteringly hot here in Indiana, but my kids started school this week. I have a senior and a sophomore in high school. And my recent college grad moved over the weekend and started his grown-up job after …
Spring has been odd in Indiana this year. We’ll have days of hitting 70 degrees followed by days in the 40s. My flowers are confused as are the trees. My lilac is just about to bloom, and my irises are beginning to hint that blooms might be on the way. It all feels out of order and confused. My spring …
Have you ever had a season where you’ve had to make hard choices? Choosing to say no to one thing to say yes to another? This week I had to say no to a book contract with an independent collection that I really wanted to say yes to, to make space for my family. I agonized over the choice. I …
One of the things I’ve been piloting in my day job is a program for graduating senior women to help them with the transition from college student to first job and the first six months. This week we met for our first Zoom session post graduation. Beyond it being wonderful to see these young women who I’ve invested so much …
I’ve always wondered what Moses did that led God to call him His friend. When you read the Old Testament books that Moses appears in, you see him doing things like: Pushing back against his calling: Exodus 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10,13 Arguing with God: Numbers 14:13-16 Became impatient: Numbers 20:10-12 What made Joshua different? @Cara_Putman shares some thoughts today. Click …
Like many of you, I’ve been reading my way through the Bible. I’m starting Deuteronomy this week, but have been pondering this verse: But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. Numbers 14:24. @cara_putman urges us to live life …
In our hourse we’re preparing for the kids to return to school and for me to return to face-to-face classes at Purdue. We all came home in mid-March, and I’d say we’re largely ready to see what the fall has in store. This year has been the year of Flexible Chaos, and I’m certain it’s not over yet! How are …
This is an opportunity to press in. Life often goes very fast for our family. We’ve had years of taking the kids somewhere every night of the week. That hasn’t been our life since about March 15th. Instead we’ve had a chance to slow down. Spend time together. And press into our walk with God through the gift of time to read, journal, and process. I’ve been reading Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen and None Like Him by Jen Wilkin. Get Out of Your Head has been the kick I needed to push out of my thoughts. If your mind is anything like mine has been lately, it is so easy to spiral in our thoughts and this book has been what I needed to stop some of the craziness between my ears. None Like Him has helped me remember all the ways God is bigger and oh so different from me. It’s led me to focus on who He is and helped me lift my eyes from me. The combination of the two is a powerful one-two punch.
I’ve been thinking about this as I read/listened to the book of Joshua again this week. There was a significant difference in the way that Joshua and Caleb approached life and uncertainty than the other Israelite spies and the population as a whole. We have the opportunity to exercise a different mentality right now as we experience the uncertainty of COVID-19 and quarantines.