Somewhere in the midst of my reeling with God, doubting his goodness and questioning his role as provider, my friend Marlena Graves offered me these words: “God did not lead you to this desert to die.” Though the words offered little comfort about our current situation (God lead us to a desert, after all. And we’d have time spend […]
Spiritual Formation
I Am One of Them
Years ago, an Emergent Christian radio host teased me about my Reformed-ness on his radio show. The conversation left both of us confused. Him, I’m sure by my claiming Reformed theology took the same holistic approach I saw in the Emerging Church (especially in areas of erasing that line between sacred and secular. We got […]
The Sudden Intrusion: A Bit of Ecstasy
On Monday, in my Reformed defense of mysticism, I write that to Reformed is to be mystic. That is, if we actually notice God in every “square inch” of his world. If we call God drawing us to him with his irresistible grace what it is: ecstasy itself. Today, I offer an excerpt from Broke, […]
T.U.L.I.P Fueled Ecstasies & Other Reformed Defenses of Mysticism
I had hoped by now I’d be over my annoyance toward Tim Challies’ unfortunate post in which he calls St. Teresa of Avila a “false teacher.” Certainly it helped ease my frustration when my friend Ellen Painter Dollar wrote such a stellar response. But alas, the annoyance remains. As troubled as I was over Challies’ brutal […]
“What I Learned About Being Wealthy By Going Broke”
Once upon a time I was wealthy. Not just American-style wealthy. Wealthy wealthy. Maybe not the top of the 1%, but still: the sort where a brand-new car awaits you on your 16th birthday, a gold watch congratulates your high school graduation, and a long, creamy strand of pearls commemorate your college. The sort of wealthy with weddings […]
Remember Well
“Remember well.” So reads the inscription in my copy of Everything That Makes You Mom, a lovely little book of vignettes and memory-prompts about mothers. Remember well is good instruction when it comes to our moms, of course. It’s important that we remember the acts of love, the reasons for discipline, the sounds of laughter, the endless […]
