Mother’s Day Conspiracy
The hardest work of my life, hands down, is being a mom. It’s rugged and relentless. Clocking in at 24 hours a day, I’m never off the clock or off the hook. But (a really big …
Escape Hatch
Escape hatches. We need them. We need an escape route for the times in life when demands bombard us at a rate that pummels our soul. Escape hatches come in all shapes and sizes. An overdose of …
Alone With The One Who Knows Your Name
The scenery turned from concrete to cornfields as I reluctantly made my way to a retreat center 30 miles from home. “Is this really going to be worth it?” I questioned the value of taking a day …
About Retreat
Peace and quiet. They go together more then we’d like to admit. The absence of quiet in the lives of 21st century believers may be robbing us of the peace (not to mention the purpose and power …
A Day Away
Inwardly I moaned, “How can I add anything more to my life?” It was 1992 and I was on staff at a church on the outskirts of Chicago. The senior pastor had just lovingly instituted a day …
The Hard Work of Rest
I learned many years ago that resting well is not static. It’s a moving target, constantly evolving. For me, that’s what makes rest hard work. It requires attention, diligence and commitment to the ever changing seasons and chapters of …
Jesus Loved Martha
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 11:5 These words (especially the first three), and the order in which they were written, leaped out and landed in my heart. Thud. I would have expected Mary, Martha’s sister, …
Off The Grid
Life at one time, had natural, built-in boundaries to the rhythm of our days. A long time ago, people went to bed shortly after sunset – especially when wood or oil reserves ran low. More recently, phones …