Sometimes something sparks in my mind and my thoughts go shooting off in all directions like frost crystals tracing a windowpane.   The other day the spark was the lyrics to a Jars of Clay song: 
                Take my world all apart,              
                Take it now, take it now              
                And serve the ( Read more... )

Although I’m rather a dog person, my parents’ cat “Tahoe” is one member of the feline species that I find particularly irresistible. It’s probably mostly because of his dog-like personality-he can’t BEAR for there to be an empty lap (and by “empty” he means any lap he’s not in: books, food, laptop or other objects simply don’t cut it and must move ( Read more... )

I remember when I was a little girl that I’d get scared turning off the lights to leave the basement. I’d come to the bottom of the stairs and my heart would jump into my throat with an overwhelming urge to flick that switch and bound up the stairs like I was running for my life from green-eyed monsters. But, for whatever reason, something always ( Read more... )

Last month I was reading Mark Buchanan’s book, The Rest of God, and there’s a chapter on listening to God.  He pointed out how often God asks questions, and I realized how true it is.  Don’t take this too far-it’s not an emotional, experiential, mystical thing at ALL.  Usually just thoughts that filter through my head when I’m praying, reading the ( Read more... )

Well, it occurred to me in a flash of brilliance that it’s been a long time since I’ve blogged about what in the world I’m up to. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t exactly a flash of brilliance. More like, “You’re a loser. Update, you hypocrite!” Hence, I’m rectifying the situation. Now, how far do I need to back up?

Word from my CELTA trainers was that I ( Read more... )

I spend a LOT of time painfully aware of my inadequacy to counsel the girls here. It's been really amazing (and shocking; quite a bit like being pushed into the ice-cold deep end) to be thrown into a situation where it's so utterly and pathetically obvious that the "surpassing greatness of the glory" is GOD'S, and His alone. That's part of why I ( Read more... )

My soul is running tonight.
Restless, answerless; I can’t fight,
So I run.  I run inside, run to You.

These burdens seem to chase through my heart in a wild tumble.
They weigh so heavily that I stumble and suddenly I’m confronted by a wild realty:
My failures, flaws, my frailty all pound until I’m broken and on my knees.

Still this eternal ( Read more... )

Well, it’s 2:00am and I got up at 5:30 this (well, yesterday) morning, so I’m not sure why I’m sitting here wide awake and restless!  My soul’s running again.  Did I write about pacing in front of the tree on here before?  I think I did.  I’ll post it again.  Anyway, that’s what I’ve been doing tonight.

It’s times like these when I’m so thankful ( Read more... )

     So I thought.  (And that was probably my first mistake.)  And I thought, “I really need to recoup and refresh this summer so I’ll be ready for the students next semester.  I think I’ll stay in Wisconsin, study for chapel and workshop topics, read, sit in my wonderful apartment, lie by the pool, help in the main office, get a jump on paperwork ( Read more... )

This quote sears my soul every time I read it:

"To abide in Christ, and to consent to be loved while unworthy, is the believer's positional privilege and responsibility.  Love functions according to its nature, not according to the quality of its object."  --Miles Stanford, The Complete Green Letters

I’ve always thought, somewhere in the ( Read more... )