Latest Posts

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

What Grows Among the Rubbish

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8 The cluster of purple wild asters greeted me like a bouquet held out in the hands of a child. I paused my walk home and crouched down to take a closer look. Perfectly formed, delicate petals opened to reveal small yellow centers. They were a work of art. A pleasant focus at the end of a long, sweltering… Read More

The Tale of the Storm Thrush (or, How to Rebuild a Ruined Nest)

Afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and I will lay your foundations with sapphires. Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, and your gates of crystal, and your entire wall of precious stones.  Isaiah 54:11-12 There is a fat-bellied bird in Britain who has two names. Ornithologists call him a Mistle Thrush, but in the countryside where he is often seen, he is known as the… Read More

Outside

For R and C, and all who feel outside. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.  Hebrews 13:12 He spoke quietly, gently.  We were always taught that the mzungu (white man) knew best. That his way was always better. So I felt shame when asked to lead. I remained quiet, afraid my opinions would not matter. Centuries of colonization left their indelible mark on his… Read More

Your Gentleness Made Me Great

Your gentleness made me great. 2 Samuel 22:36   Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 Great: of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average.… Read More