All Is Calm, All Is Bright
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. —Isaiah 9:6 During the Advent and Christmas seasons, one of my favorite things to do is sneak downstairs after my family is fast asleep. I plug in the Christmas tree lights, curl up with a fluffy blanket on the couch—joined by my cat, Phobe, if she deigns to grace me with her presence—and bask in the soft glow of the brightly colored [...]
Waiting for the Lord
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. —Lamentations 3:25–26 Waiting isn’t one of my virtues. The mocking “Your call is important to us” from a customer service department. Switching lines in the grocery store or lanes on the street, only to discover that the line or lane I vacated is now moving at twice the speed. All of these kinds of experiences frustrate me to no end. Waiting is about wanting to know [...]
In Praise of Hymnody
From the manger newborn light Shines in glory through the night. Darkness there no more resides; In this light faith now abides. —“Savior of the Nations, Come,” stanza 7 I didn’t have much exposure to hymnody prior to joining the Lutheran church. In the previous churches I’d attended, we sang some of what I call the “oldies but goodies”: “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” and others. But most of the songs were contemporary and involved singing the same stanzas and refrains repeatedly. And at Christmastime, we focused on the usual hymns, [...]
A Yearning Heart
Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. —Psalm 33:20–22 Do you ever fall short of your own expectations, in spite of your best intentions? That’s what my entire life has felt like lately. That pristine house I fantasize about? A cluttered, dusty domicile. Those brilliant chapters I imagine will flow from my fingers when I sit at my computer to write? Not forthcoming. [...]
A Grateful Heart
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. —1 Chronicles 16:34 Every year, my pastor-husband officiates a Thanksgiving Eve service. It’s one of my favorites. The quiet steadiness of evening worship always puts me in a calm, contemplative mood. And I find that this service is the perfect way to hit pause on the otherwise chaotic preparations for the holiday celebration. Although every part of the service is lovely in its own way, my favorite moment it when my husband reads the prayers of thanksgiving offered by the congregants. As settle [...]
The Book Launch Week That Was
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. —Isaiah 43:19 This week’s blog post will be another short one, because I’m currently attending the fabulous WriterFest Nashville conference, where I facilitated a group in the Practice Your Pitch session. I loved hearing what the authors were working on and brainstorming potential opportunities for them to share their work with the world. What a joy and blessing, to support writers on their unique and incredible journeys! [...]
Book Launch Reflections
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! —Psalm 118:29 Daylight savings always wrecks my sleep schedule (seriously—who do we have to talk to make time changes go away???), so I slept in a bit Tuesday morning. When I finally opened my eyes, I did my usual routine of grabbing my [...]
Bonus Blog: A Blessed Veterans Day!
Thank you to all our veterans! I’ll have more to say about launch day in this week’s regular blog post on Friday. But before today gets away from me, I want to wish a blessed Veterans Day to all who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces, and for the families who support them. Both my husband and I have veterans in our families, and we’re grateful for all our relatives who heeded the call. The featured photo for today’s blog includes items from my mother-in-law’s father’s military service as a Lieutenant Colonel in the [...]
What Is a “Patriotic Woman” Anyway?
What does being a patriot mean to you? ***This is post 2 of 2 exploring the title and subtitle of my forthcoming book. Click here to read part 1, “What Does It Mean to Be ‘One Nation Under God’?” As I mention in the introduction to my forthcoming book, I was raised in a patriotic military family. However, politics were never discussed in my household. In fact, I don’t even know if anyone in my family ever voted. So I certainly don’t know who they voted for, if they voted at all. At least in my home, patriotism [...]
What Does It Mean to Be “One Nation Under God”?
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. —Psalm 93:1–2 ***This is post 1 of 2 exploring the title and subtitle of my forthcoming book. Part 2, “What Is a ‘Patriotic Woman’ Anyway?” is now available for your viewing pleasure. People tend to have strong opinions about book titles. When I work with authors, I caution them that their publisher will likely want to change their [...]