Ah, the influence of others’ in our lives … the Voices of Authority, if you will. In recent years I’ve been challenged again and again, asked “Who are the Voices of Authority in your life, Beth?” And I’ve come to realize some of the voices that held sway over me had no right to do so. Yes, they had …
Collaborating: Embracing the wonderful and the scary
We’re five days into the new year. Five days of living with my One Word: collaboration. Wondering what God is going to do in me – maybe even what he is going to do through me – as I embrace collaborating with him for the next twelve months. I’m reading Finding Divine Inspiration by J. Scott McElroy, a gift from …
In Others’ Words: The Divine Interruption of Christmas
I am not overly fond of interruptions. Interruptions — be they people or events — stop my forward motion. They prevent me from achieving my goals. They waste my time. Or so I think if I am not paying attention. I’ve come to realize that interruptions may be the point of my day. Interruptions may be the more important thing …
In Others’ Words: The More of Christmas
As the song says, “Christmas time is here … ” And I find myself once again torn between the beauty and the sadness brought by this time of year. There is so much beauty in Christmas: The music — Everything from the childlike fun of “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” to the beauty of “Silent Night” and …
In Others’ Words: Discipline and Celebration
Two words stand out to me in Henri Nouwen’s quote: discipline and gratitude. Nouwen reminds us that gratitude is a discipline — that it takes effort to be thankful. And knowing how easily I can fall into counting my “lack of” rather than counting all the ways my life is filled to overflowing with so much more goodness than I ever …
In Others’ Words: The Value of Nothing
It’s been a year of deadlines for me … going from one deadline to the next to the next … and repeat, repeat, repeat. Add in the non-writing parts of life and there’s not been a lot of “doing nothing” in 2014. I often find those quiet moments of “nothing” in the middle of the night when I’m awake and everyone …
In Others’ Words: In the Moment
Most of my days start with a good 3 1/2 mile walk with my friend Mary. We walk and talk — and we look for “a little bit of pretty,” as we’ve come to call it. It all started when we noticed a wooden bench in a yard we were walking past — a little bit of pretty, even though …
In Others’ Words: Broken Legacy
I used to handle difficulties this way: I’d lay awake at night and think Just give me a minute. I’ll figure this out. I wasn’t praying — I was plotting. I wasn’t asking God for help because I was going to fix whatever was broken — a plan, a relationship, a dream — all by myself. I’m older now and yes, …
In Others’ Words: Words and Names
There were a lot of names being tossed around my house last weekend. Not bad names — baby names. My daughter and son-in-love just found out they’re having a second daughter and, of course, it’s time to start the process of “What do think of ______”? All sorts of names were offered and some suggestions were even added to their list …
In Others’ Words: To the Ordinary
Ah, the lure of the extraordinary moments. When life is more than fine … beyond the best that I can imagine … lit up like a 4th of July sparkler. Yes, I’m grateful for those moments. And then there are the moments where life is … good. When there are no dirty dishes in my sink because my husband, bless …