Study with Friends Blog

 “The New Normal” is a phrase we hear often in the media these days. These words refer, of course, to the new habits we have undertaken because of the corona virus. Many of us are sheltering in our homes, practicing social distancing, frequently washing hands, sanitizing everything we touch, and attending meetings by Zoom and other electronic means.

This pandemic is–enter any adjective you want here, like crazy, scary, lonely & isolating, to name just a few. Don’t get me wrong, of course we often look at the good side of this… many of us have been able to paint rooms, clean out closets or basements, worked out a little longer or actually just worked out, played games with our kids and had extra time to do something we’ve been wanting to do that we just could never find the time for. But many of us are lonely.

I’d hate to try and think how many sermons I’ve listened to in my life. It would easily be in the thousands! But there is one sermon that tops the list. It is the most famous sermon in the Bible, preached by Jesus as He began His public ministry, the Sermon on the Mount. You […]

We had crossed the country for a wedding. When the radiant bride walked down the aisle, with our daughter as her flower girl, I was in the operating room. The disappointment of missing that family event was, at the time, eclipsed by what was happening to us.

Someone posed this provocative question in a social media post recently: “What if we took sin as seriously as we take COVID-19?” I can’t stop thinking about the irony here. What if sin took hold of the world’s conscience and provoked an international reaction on par with COVID-19?

If you have had the opportunity in these last few weeks to be on a video conference call with a company that rhymes with “boom,” you might have added a virtual background to your personal screen during the session.  The pre-designed backgrounds, of which there are many, help place you in a setting which conveys part of your personal creativity. It also depicts your longing for somewhere you’d like to be, other than stuck at home. 

When I was in grade school, the lot directly behind our house was sold to a builder.  Two twin houses were built on the lot.  We neighborhood kids watched the progress on those houses all summer long.  Once the workers completed their workday and left the site, we would all gather around and check out what had been done that day.  I remember jumping down into the pits that became the foundations of the homes. 

About fifteen years ago my mother died.  She fought cancer with more dignity than I can describe.  My mother was pretty cool, and maybe we’ll talk more about her sometime, you and I.  But for now, I will only be able to give you a pencil sketch of her, because I really want to talk […]

In the old I Love Lucy show there is an episode where Lucy and Ricky move from the city to the country. At bedtime Lucy finds herself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep—ironically because it’s too quiet. This reminds me of our current corona virus work-from-home/social distancing; it is now certainly quiet outside. Even though this may not be the way we envisioned slowing life down, nevertheless, I’m finding blessing in the quiet moments.

“Mom, I want to study abroad next semester.” Sounds innocent enough, right?  But she had something specific in mind.  As I write this, my daughter is enjoying a semester abroad…in Rwanda, Africa.  No, there was no talking her into a semester in Europe.  So my husband and I prayed.  We prayed about whether we should […]