Tag: jesus
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Hidden Aqueduct: A Source of Life
Behind our farmhouse, a natural spring flows down the mountainside. You might not notice it as it moves through the lush fern gully strewn with moss covered rocks. But this spring provides the water for our home and the surrounding barns. This hidden aqueduct is a source of life for us as well as the…
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Finding the Courage to Stay Strong and Carry On
Life is full of setbacks. Sometimes, finding the courage to stay strong and carry on is the most difficult part. It’s easy to feel like giving up when recuring obstacles threaten to defeat us. Our recent move to Tennessee is a good example of real challenges we’ve faced lately. Whatever could go wrong did go…
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Shalom: A Better Kind of Peace
When our world is falling apart, the peace we need isn’t merely the absence of conflict. What we need is an inner sense of wholeness of body, mind and spirit that transcends our circumstances. Only Jesus offers us this shalom: a better kind of peace. Suzanne Montgomery I remember the phone call from my son…
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A Kingdom Not of This World
Books are my passion. They always have been. Maybe it’s because my family often read to me as a child. Or perhaps the giant book collection given to me by my Grandma Helen hooked me. Everything from Nancy Drew Mysteries to Little Women enticed me to fall in love with reading. But by far, my…
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Searching for the Most Important Piece
This morning I struggled to see clearly. I was making a smoothie for breakfast but couldn’t find the part to blend it. The most important piece was sitting right in front of me, but I failed to locate it. This same thing happens when I search for something in the refrigerator. As my mother would…
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Wrestling With Why in a World Full of Paradox
As a child, I was naturally curious. I desired to understand my world and wasn’t shy about asking questions. Once I figured things out, I insisted on doing everything myself, even to the point of holding my own hand. My blatant sense of independence drove my mother crazy. This need of mine to control my…
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Making All Things New
Every spring I celebrate as signs of life break forth through the dead residue of winter. What a joy to spy daffodils and crocus pushing up amongst the dry leaves in my garden. When I focus on what appears lifeless, I can miss these early hints of seasonal change. God is truly making all things…
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Cling to What’s Constant
Many years ago, my family decided to take a vacation to Cozumel. Our favorite pastime while there, was snorkeling. My three children were young, but they were all strong swimmers. So, we spent some part of each day with goggles and fins viewing the colorful fish and coral life. We each attempted to reach the…
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Abiding in a Bubble of Love
At a recent Christian writers conference, one of the speakers made a statement that touched my heart . It wasn’t at all about the craft of writing but about who we are as followers of Jesus. She said, “Remember (as Christians) we have a bubble of love surrounding us at all times.” Her words struck…
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Darkness Before the Dawn
In the Christian calendar, this is Holy Week. It’s the short time between Palm Sunday and Easter when Jesus entered Jerusalem, died by crucifixion, and rose from the dead. For the people nearest him, it was an emotional rollercoaster. Have you ever thought about how the disciples must have felt? They certainly experienced deep darkness…
