“Heart, where are you?” I said.
But my voice came back hollow.
“Surely you’re not dead…
Don’t go where I can’t follow.
“Dawn can’t stay always away,
So turn your face to the sky.
Hope can’t stay forever at bay,
Awake; lift your head high.”
Only silence from the depth,
Just as still as before.
But this was life or death,
So I tried once more.
You and the tandem partner strapped to your back—whom you’ve known for only five minutes—shuffle toward the back of the narrow airplane, where the door is open wide. Everything you’ve ever learned through commercial flying has been defied in the last thirty seconds, especially as you’ve watched the three other tandem teams stand in the doorway and immediately disappear.
Now it’s your turn to plummet. As you hang out the door, there is absolutely nothing between you and the ground, which is more than ten thousand feet below. Even though you’ve traveled by air all your life, the sensation of looking so far down is not the same as that moment you let go. Continue reading “God’s Love is Like Skydiving (There’s More series, pt. 7)”
God’s love and human ability. They don’t seem linked, do they? When I used to feel frustration at my inability to perceive God’s love, never did my own strength—or lack thereof—factor into my thinking.
Until recently.
Wow, has God been showing me a lot about strength. And weakness. Physical, spiritual, mental…
So, a little backstory:
I’ve not acquired the nickname Helga sarcastically. Though I was the youngest child and only daughter, my family never showed special treatment when it came to splitting firewood, hauling rocks, building, or helping my dad with his handyman jobs. In fact, I wouldn’t let anyone treat me as weaker. When necessary, I did my best to keep up with my dad and brother as we worked on our ranch and tamed a small wilderness. It was exhausting, but I would have been disappointed in myself if I couldn’t perform. Continue reading “Strength and Weakness (There’s More series, pt. 3)”
I’m embarking on a new adventure. God willing, I’ll never be the same.
And you’re invited. 
What is it? Well, the good news is this adventure doesn’t involve death-defying acts or a big budget. The bad news is I have no idea how this is going to work. But that’s what makes it an adventure, right?
Here’s a little glimpse into this new series: Continue reading “There’s More: a new series”
There are few Bible personalities I really connect with. You know: Ruth was so good, and Esther was fearless and beautiful, and Mary was amazing. Paul is hard for me to get my head around, and the disciples, well, they were interesting and funny, but relatable? Well, maybe not so much.
But start talking about Jonah, and I’m right there with you. Somewhere amidst that moody, intense, prophet nature, I sense a personality at war with itself. He knew what was right, but he also knew himself. Maybe even doubted himself. And feared failure. And likely even feared success. Continue reading “The Jonah Within”
The woman looking at my paperwork glanced up and verified my hometown. “How’d you get here to South Dakota?” she said, almost in passing.
Picturing the miles between where I started and where I ended up, I smiled and said simply, “Via some back roads.”
Isn’t that the case more often than not? How often do we set about to do something and end up in a completely unexpected place?
As I got thinking more about back roads, I began to see ways God has used them to bring me closer to His plan. Continue reading “Along the Back Roads”
