Forward Day By Day – February 10, 2021

Once (okay, more than once), I became overwhelmed with projects: ministries, committees, acts of compassion and mercy, being the perfect teacher and mom. I was practically a saint, except I wasn’t. I was exhausted and tearful. I was short with my family; my lower left...

Forward Day By Day – February 9, 2021

I would like to be a salty old woman. Maybe I already am. While people consider my mother a kind, lovely woman of wit and intelligence, she also has a little saltiness. She isn’t crude or rude—just plain-spoken and honest. Once, when someone was whiny and dramatic,...

Forward Day By Day – February 8, 2021

In the 1970s, Time magazine featured photographs of mass baptisms of hippies at California beaches. This was the Jesus Movement, and the converts were called Jesus Freaks. My college dorm neighbor posted a sign on her door, declaring she had found J….(View this...

Forward Day By Day – February 7, 2021

Is addiction a choice or a disease? The subject is hotly debated in recovery circles, with some calling it a disease of choice. Some people advocate tough love as a response. Others propose medical treatments. Those who love addicts are universally frustrated and...

Forward Day By Day – February 6, 2021

“What is your favorite image of Jesus?” a friend once asked. I answered the Good Shepherd. Why? Because it speaks of God’s care, protection and providence. In her lovely song, “I Shall Not Want,” Audrey Assad names things from which we may need to….(View this...

Forward Day By Day – February 5, 2021

Ezra is five, and I tease his parents that he is like the cartoon character Dennis the Menace, with his curiosity and chatter. Upon learning his daddy’s middle name is David like the ancient King of Israel, Ezra wanted to know more about the king. I told him the story...

Forward Day By Day – February 4, 2021

One of my former special needs students, now a friend, sometimes calls and asks me to take her places. WWF wrestling? No, I am not a fan. Roller derby? Yes, I enjoy it as much as she does. Biker church? Maybe. My friend is fascinated with motorcycles and...

Forward Day By Day – February 3, 2021

Context is everything with this verse. When the Pharisees come to Jesus and ask for a sign to test him, Jesus has just performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, feeding four thousand people. It is no wonder that he sighs deeply. I would have rolled my eyes as...

Forward Day By Day – February 2, 2021

Several of my friends have lost children to addiction. These funerals are heart-wrenching. Not only is the family mourning the death of a loved one, but they often have experienced suffering and stigma before the final loss. One mother displayed pictures in the...

Forward Day By Day – February 1, 2021

This is not always true of me. I am sometimes very afraid. In particular, the idea of serious injury or disease afflicting my children terrifies me. Yet I know it is possible to have a faith that the psalmist describes. Sometimes, I trust and am able to put aside my...