writing
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We Sing!
If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know how passionate I am about congregational singing. You might also know that, as I’m expecting my first child, I’m joyfully building up my library of children’s books. When looking through Crossway’s latest releases earlier this month, how could I possibly resist this… Continue reading
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Why Say the Lord’s Prayer Together?
At the church where I work, we say the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday as a key part of the liturgy. At the church where I am a member and my husband is Lead Pastor, we have started saying the Lord’s Prayer as a way to conclude our services. This has been met with mostly positive… Continue reading
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Accepting My Undone To-Do’s
Anyone who knows me knows I never go anywhere without my planner. If it isn’t in my purse, it’s siting open on my kitchen table. I never schedule anything without consulting it to prevent double-bookings or missed appointments. I jot down my passwords, grocery lists, and blog ideas in its margins. Every day I work… Continue reading
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A Sonnet for Finding Delight in Diligence
Do you ever have days when getting through your regular routine feels like a triumph of the human spirit? When leaving the office or studio makes you want to scream like Tim Robbins at the end of The Shawshank Redemption? I am at the end of a busy season filled with choir concerts, church services,… Continue reading
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Every Careless Word We Generate?
Jesus tells us that, on the judgment day, we will have to give account for every careless word that we speak (Matt. 12:36). I suspect that the words we write will be judged with equal or greater severity, for written words are often more permanent and intentional. If Jesus’s warning against careless words extends to… Continue reading
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The Goodness of Gardening Friends
“All my flower beds are filled with this ivy,” I texted two of my friends this afternoon. “Should I pull it or let it be? It’s pretty but seems to be taking over…” I snapped a picture to accompany my text, hoping as I sent it that my friends would reply, “Oh, that’s a rare… Continue reading
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“O Come, O Come, Behold Emmanuel”: A Sonnet for Good Friday
I was reflecting on the “O Antiphons” today, those ancient prayers that inspired the familiar Advent carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” As it is Good Friday, though, I began to wonder how the Messianic titles of the “O Antiphons” might inform a consideration of the cross. As so often happens, this contemplative exercise produced… Continue reading
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A Poem for the Day after Palm Sunday
I recently saw the sharp contrast between Palm Sunday and Passion Week described as “liturgical whiplash,” which seems just about right. The day following Palm Sunday always leaves me contemplative, struck anew by the fickleness of the crowd as they turn from cheering to jeering, from “Hosanna!” to “Crucify him!” But because we know how… Continue reading
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For Narnia and for Aslan: Reclaiming Running as Play
I run nearly every day, which leads many people to assume that I have always been into fitness. While I have always enjoyed a good walk or hike, it might surprise you to discover that I am not naturally athletic. My mom once jokingly described me as “an indoor cat,” and some of my earliest… Continue reading
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Review: “The Soul in Paraphrase” by Leland Ryken
I am deep in a study of pastors who were also poets. The Soul in Paraphrase: A Treasury of Classic Devotional Poems by Leland Ryken has proven to be not only a helpful resource for this project, but a devotional source that I anticipate enjoying for years to come. About The Soul in Paraphrase takes… Continue reading
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