I love a captive audience, don’t you? I find great, often diabolical, humor in the reality that my children are forced to endure their mother’s words: questioning, singing, preaching, teaching, inquiring, (sometimes) lecturing . . . Because when we live sixteen miles from school, we do much of life in the car. And for most of the twelve years since my oldest started school, I’ve worn the chauffeur cap. I hold my children captive for thirty minutes twice a day, since... Read more
My friends can attest—indeed, may even roll their eyes—that I “heart” the recent cinematic musical The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman. And yes, Hugh alone is reason enough to return to the theater. But the music and storyline have made the movie a surprise hit. Why did I pay three times (thus far) to watch this show? (Never happened before) Why does my family want to purchase the DVD right now (even though it’s not available yet)? Is it indeed the... Read more
LAST SUMMER, OUR PUREBRED CHOCOLATE LAB ENLIVENED OUR HOME WITH A LITTER OF PUPPIES. ONE OF THEM CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF MANY VISITORS, BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE. Flash had looks and personality—and the ability to soothe the soul of whoever held him. But he remained available until we got a call. A Facebook viewer had seen photos of one of my friends holding Flash, along with her comments expressing her wish to win the lottery so she could buy... Read more
I recently received a handwritten letter—when’s the last time you have seen one of those?—from an appreciative chaplain who had read a devotional I wrote earlier this year. That article had been published in a magazine with a readership of over 100,000, which leads me to believe that others probably appreciated it as well but just didn’t write to me about it. Most people don’t, and I never expect them to. Which made this one so heartwarming. As in, real... Read more
“Come today there’s no reason to wait. Jesus is calling.” The other day I did something I often do as I drive the 17 miles between home and the kids’ school. I cried. And, as usual, the tears were provoked by a song I was hearing on the radio. These tear ducts of mine are much too strong-willed and independent for my comfort. I can’t control them during worship. And that’s what I’m often doing in the car as I listen... Read more
As the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses approaches, Bible Study Magazine has devoted a special issue to the impact of the Reformation on how we study the Bible today. Below is the “Moment with God” devotional I contributed to the issue. AS MY BOYS HAVE REACHED THEIR TEEN YEARS, THEY SEEM INCREASINGLY SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THEIR FATHER AND I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE WORLD. Dating? Yeah, we’ve been there. Jobs? We’ve had a few of those. Driving?... Read more
In this children’s book, Caryn Rivadeneira explores the events, personalities, and cultures of more than 15 women of the Bible. Some of them are well-known but some are nameless and obscure. Each, however, has a story worth knowing and one that kids—girls and boys—today need to hear. Told in the first person, each vignette highlights the way God changed that woman’s life. If you are reading this aloud to your kids, you’ll be surprised into laughing out loud at times. For... Read more
If anyone has seen my Facebook feed this summer and not purposely hidden my posts, they must have a soft spot for puppies. Our chocolate lab, Cocoa, gave birth to eight squirmy, healthy babies—six chocolates and two vanillas—in early June. While not completely effortless, it seemed very quiet and blessedly normal for her, a first-time mom. Our tweens were in the room when they realized she had given birth to the first one, “We heard a lot of licking noises!”... Read more
Beth Moore spoke the day before. I drove back to the hotel late last night, wearing my new shirt from the MOPS Convention marketplace — it says “Blessed” in a pretty cursive font — thinking how very appropriate to have a visual reminder of how I felt. It’s worth writing about even if just so I don’t forget. The day started off well enough—decent sleep, good breakfast, arriving on time to get a good seat at Jen Hatmaker’s session at... Read more
You could safely describe my family as bibliophiles. Even the 3yo loves books, and his older brothers and sister annually smash the summer reading goals set by our local library…within a couple of weeks. So it was no surprise to find us all at Half Price Books on Labor Day, taking advantage of their 20% sale. Only N brought money, so J and M had to settle for just looking. We remembered that J owed N a copy of A... Read more
Kelley Mathews
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