Latest Posts

  • Speak Truth in Your Heart

    O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart…  Psalm 15:1-2 I was hiding behind the chair the cat liked to sleep in. My grandmother’s cat was mean, and I dared not get too close. She would rather scratch your eyes out than look at you, my grandmother loved to say. And it was… Read More

  • A Signal for the Peoples

    In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 Our secretary thought it was a joke. Head down, busy with work, she was annoyed with the interruption when a man entered the office demanding everyone’s attention and announced with a flourish the arrival of a gentleman just outside the door. When no one responded,… Read More

  • Bearing Fruit From the Old Root

    Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—      yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. Isaiah 11:1 The gnarly, knotted olive tree must have been at least 100 years old, planted by the grandfather of the two sons who built our house in the ancient walled city. Evidently, at one time, its main trunk was chopped off, leaving a stubby stump still joined at the base of the… Read More

  • Hold On

    The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14 The holiday story is told of a little boy, face sticky with peppermint, cheeks punctuated with two clean streaks of tears caused by his big brother. The big boy wanted the little boy’s candy and made a grab for it. But the little boy held fast to his sweet, refusing to let go.  Big brother then had an idea. Punching the air… Read More

  • Oh Good, Your Feet Stink Again!

    Let them sacrifice thank offerings. Let them talk about what he has done as they sing with joy.  Psalm 107:22 I never thought I’d be thankful for stinky feet. That fateful evening, just before I left the house, he sat on the sofa stretched out long, poking me with his bare feet as he tried to persuade me to let him try a new recipe. Even as I pushed those stinky toes away, I loved… Read More

  • Hijab on my Heart

    Yet if they “turned to the Lord” the veil would disappear. For the Lord to whom they could turn is the spirit of the new agreement, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men’s souls are set free. But all of us who are Christians have no veils on our faces, but reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord. We are transfigured by the Spirit of the Lord in ever-increasing splendour into his… Read More

  • Ember Keeper

    This is from Audrey's Most Read Posts and has been updated from its original publication in October 2018. Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it. “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged." Isaiah 6:6-7 A golden fleece of evening sunlight spread over the gentle hills, inviting… Read More

  • The Loveliest

    But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. 1 Peter 3:15 We returned from our honeymoon to the little four-room apartment as the sun set, casting its warm light over the cracked vinyl couch, green shag carpet, and homemade curtains. Our first home together was the loveliest sight I had ever seen. Wedding gifts were piled high in the living room, welcoming us like happy hosts. As a new bride, I was dazzled by… Read More

  • Planted

    ...for my Mother-in-Love. Thank you. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,      they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord,      they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age,      they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;      he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”… Read More

  • The Sound of Feet Running (Or, How to Resist the Devil)

    For our grown-up warrior, who helped us hear the sound of feet running.  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  James 4:7-8 Some said we were living near the very gates of the enemy. Deep in the heart of the ancient walled city was an old mosque, made famous over the centuries by the pilgrims who journeyed… Read More