first published on ylcf.org, January 23-24, 2007 read original comments here and here Human nature is the original fake. In fact, our moral frailty is one of the sturdiest constants of history: a fascinating and discouraging thought, isn’t it? Modern advertising’s common use of words like ‘genuine,’ ‘real,’ and ‘actual’ clue us in to the…
Elisabeth
Stick-in-the-mud turned avid adventurer. Country mouse in the city. Freelance writer and editor, daydreamer, joyful child of God.
The Other Answer
first published on ylcf.org, April 15, 2008 read original comments here Sometimes in the very middle of the howling winds of my wants I remember how short a distance I can see and Who knows what truly brings me joy. And so I ask the One who sees to choose my inheritance for me. And…
A Spinster Looks at Proverbs 31 (Part Two of Two)
first published on ylcf.org, April 2, 2008 read original comments here (click here to read part one) She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Sounds like a pretty classy lady…
A Spinster Looks at Proverbs 31 (Part One of Two)
first published on ylcf.org, March 31, 2008 read the original comments here It was lunch break, and I was sitting down for a quick “Bible snack” when my eyes fell on Proverbs 31:26: “The law of kindness is on her tongue.” Though I’ve read it a thousand times, this time it went right to the…
Excuses
I’m tired of making excuses for God. Am I the only one who does this? I hate bad-mouthing anybody — least of all my Good Shepherd. And so I find myself saying the equivalent of this: God’s a nice guy. He means well; He just hasn’t come through for me yet. That’s ridiculous: it’s unsatisfying…
Sifted
I’ve been thinking about sifting lately. Harvest comes first, then threshing and winnowing. And finally, sifting. When I was in Israel, I saw a whole series of rustic, round sifters, the woven mesh finer on each one. The object: filtering out chaff, stalks, sticks, rocks, and leaving nothing but grain. It reminds me of a…
Astounded
Yes, I know that sounds pretty drastic. But really, I didn’t expect spring to arrive quite so suddenly. You’d think that once we started having a couple warm days, there might be a few tentative shoots, a few sprigs, a faint flush of green in the lawn. I mean, at the beginning of this week,…
Hello, Do You Like My Hat?
During my teenage years, three brothers were born into my family: three delightful, exasperating, energetic little people who needed a lot of chasing, feeding, and lulling to sleep. As the oldest sister, I got to be part of that process. One of my favorite jobs was reading bedtime stories – as long as I got…
Christmas Past
Once upon a time, my Christmases really were like Victorian greeting cards. Back when all ten of us lived in one house, when everyone bought presents for everyone else. (With a little help from our mom, if necessary). There were the secrets in the closet, the anticipation of seeing this person’s face when they saw…
All Things New
Once upon a time, there was a girl whose name ought to have been “I Can’t.” She began walking when she was about seven months old, an experiment she quickly nixed for several more months, due to some phenomenon called gravity that kept getting in the way. She began learning to ride a bike when…
