Someone I love dearly received an unexpected diagnosis. My heart ached to hear it. As this person shared their news on Facebook, one person remarked, “Well, this must be God’s will.” My eyes bugged out as my blood began to boil. God’s will? Really? I’ve been mulling over this concept for quite some time. When someone receives a medical diagnosis, people often blanket it under the guise of “God’s will”. When hurricanes drop devastation, we say it was “God’s will”. When an entire family is Read More
God's Will
It Must be God’s Will…Really???
This past week has been a rough one. Why does it seem like holiday time is a tractor beam for bad news? Someone I love dearly received an unexpected diagnosis. My heart ached to hear it. As this person shared their news on Facebook, one person remarked, “Well, this must be God’s will.” My eyes bugged out as my blood began to boil. God’s will? Really? I’ve been mulling over this concept for quite some time. When someone receives a medical diagnosis, people often blanket Read More
Finding a Voice: When God Changes the Plan
I sprinted behind my son, attempting to wrap his dripping hair in a towel. Wrestling him out of the bath had worn me out. Wrestling him into pajamas was even more difficult. Now he had broken free and was running down the hall. He squealed in delight as I huffed, “Boy, when I get a hold of you…” We rounded the corner and I stopped short, blinking in surprise. My husband stood in the living room, a big grin on his face. His hands gripped Read More
To Do or To Be…That Is The Question
by Tara Johnson This past week, I finished up a beautiful study on the book of Hosea by Jennifer Rothschild. She challenged her readers to do something I love: to make a to-be list instead of a to-do list. I’m prolific at creating master to-do lists. They give me a sense of control, a sense of accomplishment and keep my cluttered mind from letting crucial jobs slip through the cracks of my faulty memory. (Correction: these things give me illusion of control, accomplishment and clearer Read More
No Fast Passes Allowed
I don’t like waiting. I’ll admit it. Especially when I sense something good just around the bend. Sometimes the anticipation is sweet. Other times it’s almost unbearable. Agonizing. Like waiting in line for Splash Mountain at Disney World in 100 degree heat. (No fast passes included.) In 2003, at the encouragement of a friend, I sent a package of children’s songs I’d written to a publisher for consideration. I thought it would be rejected within a few weeks. It wasn’t. But it wasn’t accepted either. Read More