We’re on the home stretch now. Only three more days to go. This 50-Day Writing Challenge began as something to motivate me to be disciplined about writing. Since then it has morphed into an avenue to process and express my thoughts and emotions. Additionally, it has helped me see beyond writing for the sake of writing….
Tag: learning
Heart Cries
Oh Lord, forgive me. Forgive me for not wanting to obey You. For wanting my own way. For allowing fear and anger to rule me. For the unkind thoughts and words. For the lack of love. For all that does not glorify You, I’m sorry! Please change me Father because I cannot. This hard, bitter…
The Root of Bitterness
All that morning I walked around in a haze of anger. Regardless of the cause, I felt justified in my ire. I hugged it to myself, thinking over the words, imputing negative motives and intentions, stoking the resentment. As the antagonism built up within me, I found myself in such a tangle of fury and…
A Firm Foundation
Christmas is all about trust. Mary trusting God in the face of unimaginable odds. Joseph trusting God in the face of unpalatable facts. The shepherds trusting an angelic choir in the middle of a cold night. And later, the Magi trusting that the star was truly the signal of a royal birth not a figment…
The Insidiousness of Backbiting
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Proverbs 18:21 I wish I remembered this more often. It would save me a lot of remorse and compunction. I sometimes wonder why I’m unable to guard my tongue. Why do the negative words trip over themselves in rushing out? While encouraging, affirming words require…
I’m A Terrible Parent – And Other Fears
Parenting is hard work. As my daughter grows older, I am challenged each time I teach or correct her. Every time I think I have gained ground in one issue, I realise that I have moved two steps back in another area. Over the last week, I’ve been fighting small fires – and sensing my…
A True Treasure
The little worries which we meet each day May lie as stumbling-blocks across our way, Or we may make them stepping-stones to be Of grace, O Lord, to Thee. -A. E. Hamilton Sometimes, as I pass through days of calm serenity, a sudden jolt—a thought—can set me back apace. One thought leads to another, and…
The Lord’s Remembrancer
I found a lovely little phrase tucked away in something Amy Carmichael wrote, that threw new light on what it means to be an intercessor. She describes how someone far away from home, a missionary perhaps, is filled with a sense of homesickness sometimes, since despair and loneliness are very much a part of working…
Mary, Did You Know?
**This post first appeared on Indiaanya** “Every mother should have at least one Christmas baby. It makes one feel very close to Mary.” -Ruth Bell Graham I think that is so true. There is something about being pregnant during the Christmas season that makes it all the more poignant. Aspects of motherhood that hitherto…
The Phone Call
I think about you, and wonder if I do dare make that call and say, ‘Hello’. What if there are recriminations and malicious sarcasm? I would rather not have to listen to that form of persecution. Then I consider my own cowardice. How contrary to my Lord’s response to worse – condemnation, contempt, crucifixion! Forgiveness….
The Sociable Introvert
They say that one never truly appreciates something until it is no longer there. I would have to agree. Let me explain. I’m an introvert. I love my solitude and guard it jealously. Silence and being alone, replenishes me mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I do have friends but I do not need them to…
Under Construction
A friend of mine said something simple yet profound yesterday. In the book of Haggai, God says that His temple is in ruins. So my friend asked God what he ought to do to help rebuild the temple. And God replied, “My temple is not a building of stones and brick. It is you.” I…
Small Mercies
The weirdest sensation would have to be hoisted on your own petard. Perhaps that’s too drastic a depiction. What I’m trying to describe is the sensation of holding forth virtuously, confident of your own ‘rightness’, only to find that you’ve made an error in judgement. Not a very pleasant place to be, believe me! The…
The Companion
I walked along. Alone. Weary. Worries pummelling me. Events I cannot control, Cannot predict. Tormenting me. Fears weighing, Draining me. Anxieties blisteringly beating down, Exhausting me. ‘Is this how life is to be, Lord?’ I cried in anguish. ‘No,’ He replied. ‘For did I not give you A companion?’ One who is A hiding place,…
Finding Peace
I’m not sure if it’s the pregnancy hormones or the fact that I’m now in my third trimester but recently, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and worried by all that the future holds. I think of all that is going to change in the new year and I’ve just been burdened by a sense of my…
Thoughts on Arriving Mid-Way
It’s Day 25 of the 50-Day Writing Challenge. I can’t believe I’m halfway there already. Seems like I just began writing a week ago! As I consider the last few weeks, I’m glad this writing challenge happened. While there were days I felt I had nothing unique to write about, somehow the challenge to push…
Making Room for Sincere Candidness
“Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favour rather than one who has a flattering tongue.” Proverbs 28:23 I’d read an article recently on giving honest criticism and felt it was an area I definitely needed to improve. I know that I prefer to have others think well of me, so my default…
On Rooting Out Discontentment
I’ve been thinking about contentment today. There is an entire worldview crammed into that single word. Roy Castle once asked, “Why don’t people think about what they have instead of what they haven’t?” And that got me wondering – why don’t I think about all that I have, instead of focusing on all that I…
Appreciating The Differences
After marriage, one generally discovers new aspects of one’s spouse. Some are positive, others negative, and still others darn right peculiar! The trick is to learn what to alter and what to leave alone. It’s a fine line, believe me! I have known MD for more than 10 years now, and been married to him…
A Timely Reminder
I experienced a strange sensation today. My daughter, who is currently nursing a terrible cold, was snuggling next to me as I lay on my bed. As I put my arms around her little body and hugged her close, my arms suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. It was so unusual it stopped me…
inkhorn 