When the Menu is Manna

                                                                                           We had been driving for hours. Finally, in the distance, we could see the long-awaited exit ahead that would lead us to a few hours of blissful sleep. With a one-month-old in tow, I was so relieved. We had reached our destination, or so we thought, only to be nosed to nose with a detour sign at our planned exit. My spirit sank as we began the drive down the winding road, moving farther and farther away from the hotel we had almost reached, until it resembled a tiny dot in the distance. What was intended to be a short interruption in our travel route turned into a two-hour ordeal! We circled the city, confused by the major construction in the darkness and the lack of a cle...

  I t was a small, painted ceramic nativity scene. Purchased at the local drugstore for less than $10.00, around 25 years ago, I needed something tangible and visual to teach my girls the truth of the Nativity. Year after year, the figurines found their place on our living room coffee table. Due to much loving and handling during play, we had a few casualties. Joseph was the first to go when, somehow, he lost his head. This alteration of his appearance didn't do the story justice. A headless Joseph in the scene was a little too creepy and brought about questions I wasn't quite ready to address with two preschoolers. His passing was followed by a malfunction with the manger, which held the Christ Child nuzzled inside under the pure white ceramic swaddling clothes. One drop on the hardwood floors, and this member of the Nativity was now two pieces. Okay, I reasoned, the shepherd might be able to double as Joseph, but no manger, no Christ Child? Clearly, I would have to mend t...

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.   Matthew 5:9 There was no way to anticipate what I would learn when I began to study the Beatitudes. The more I learned about these insightful teachings filled with wisdom from the Father, the more I became aware of what I lacked. There are days, especially the tough ones, when the idea of being a peacemaker seems distant. Sometimes it feels impossible, and making peace is not always the first thing on my mind. A piece of my mind would be more accurate. But in those moments, when life raises its ugly head, and I walk into conflict at home, at work, and yes, even in the church, I struggle and even grapple with resolve. Sometimes I resort to various depictions of a peacemaker, though I don't recommend them. The Ostrich, Bob, and the Lamb I don't buy these methods for peacemaking, well, maybe I have from time to time, but I don't suggest them. Some equate a peacemaker with the characteristics of an ostrich. Y...

  Just start walking...Perhaps this was Abram's (later Abraham's) motto, as seemingly out of nowhere, God called him, asking him to do something that, in my mind's eye, seemed to require a lot of a foreigner to God- one who did not even know who God was, let alone follow Him. Yet that is precisely what happened. Scripture never tells us what went on between the asking and the following. Oh, to be a fly on the wall between God's call and Abram's decision! I can imagine the family conversations, the weighing in or out of such an offer. The risk involved and the obscurity of this promise from a God unknown to Him. Yet Abram followed God right out of his comfort zone to a place he had never been, let alone heard of, all on the premise that God had chosen Abram to make him a great nation with descendants would be so vast that they would not be able to be measured by the grains of sand on the beach or the number of stars in the sky. I would like to know if Abram had any ...

                             I feel hypocritical in writing this because, at this time, I have at least ten sticky notes of various colors and possibly even shapes on my desk. A few checklists are also available. Some are written on the backs of envelopes, on leftover copies, and some, in desperation, are placed on a leftover fast-food napkin or superstore receipt. Each one reminds me of a task that needs my "immediate attention. As I survey the vast array of colorful, well-meaning notes that will guide my every moment if I allow them to, I feel somewhat overwhelmed. Call this person ASAP - as if the world will stop turning if I don't. Look into this… type this, send this, organize this, respond to this. Where did I learn to be driven by checklists?  This condition may have materialized as a youth. My roots as a child were definitely biblically conservative. As early as eight years old, I received a little ...

“Come on, you know you want to do it.” “Um… I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Looks dangerous!”  “No way. It’s easy!”  “I really don’t think I should. I just don’t see the purpose in it.” “Really? Everyone is doing it! It’s the most.  You can get a lot of friends by doing this!” “Guaranteed acceptance.” “Hmmm. I’m not sure… I guess I could do it. You know, just one time to get me into the group. Right?” “Yeah, this will surely do it!”  “Well, okay… Here goes…”  I watched as the skeptic joined the others by placing a large plastic bucket over his head. It covered his entire face and neck, blocking his view of anything in the conference room. The skit team, otherwise known as “The Bucket Heads,” then spent the next few minutes wandering around the room, bumping into the furnishings, the audience, and each other as they tried to make it out of the cluttered room with minimal injury.  Throughout the room, the audience’s laughter rippled as they watched these “de...