• Sin & Repentance

    Warning! Narnia Movie Discussed

    (If you haven’t yet seen the Narnia movie and don’t want to know about any details in advance, please skip this blog! 🙂 ) So last night my friend and I left the kids with the dads and went to see The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. What a wonderful, wonderful movie! Initially, I wasn’t that excited to see it. I mean, of course I wanted to see it — but I had a tiny bit of “it’s going to be another Lord of the Rings epic, science-fiction, I’m the only one in this theater bored out of my skull” fear too. PLUS, the 7:00 show was sold out,…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    So what do you do when …

    Let’s pretend that it’s the week before Christmas and you are gingerly stepping out of your comfort zone to try to be hospitable and relational by having people over to your home. You do your best. You strive to bless. But it’s a little shaky — you try to be relaxed and happy, but you really have no confidence that you CAN love well. The morning of the “weekend of three parties,” you are falsely and unjustly accused. And you know that the accusation has been broadcasted to others. And no matter how sorry the person may be, your reputation has taken a hit. THEN you open up your email…

  • Just for Fun!

    Camping in the Living Room

    Just for fun, we put up our tent in the living room. It’s been a blast cuddling in there — reading books on top of pillow piles, chuckling at Choza’s response (we were surprised that she wanted to be in there with all of us), etc. etc. We’ll have to take it down by Tuesday because our Bible study would have no place to meet … but I thought you might get a chuckle or two out of some pics. Hope so! Love ya, t    

  • Grace in Daily Life

    “I will love them freely.”

    A few nights ago, our family devotions were based on C.H. Spurgeon’s “Morning & Evening” devotional on Hosea 14:4. I was incredibly blessed (yet again) by Pastor Spurgeon’s message, so I am hoping that I will not violate any copyrights or upset anyone by posting it here. (Since I found numerous online sites that have the entire book, I’m assuming it is available in the public realm. Hope so–‘twould be a dumb thing to lose my law license over, eh?) Oh — and that same night as Fred led our family worship and I played the piano, Sophia sang a hymn with us for the first time. “Jesus Lover of…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    It really does rob the joy …

    Today I had a fun opportunity to serve two strangers. As I was walking to my car in the long-term parking lot at our little Billings airport, I saw an elderly couple walking around, pulling their suitcases, looking a little tired, frustrated, and confused. “Can’t find your car?” I called out. “Yup. Our neighbor said he’d leave it for us but my husband has walked this entire lot three times and we can’t find it.” So I offered to drive them around the lot in my car. When it wasn’t there, I paid my rate in order to exit the lot and take them over to short-term parking. After a…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    Astounding! Grace & Adoption

    If you have a few moments and would like to be encouraged by the grace of God as regards our adoption as His beloved children, please read: Pictures of Me by Jill Carattini When is this amazing writer going to write a book? I would be the first in line to buy a copy. I am SOOOOO blessed by this Ravi Zacharias emag. I don’t have time today to even breathe, but I couldn’t help but slow down and meditate on the lavish love of God when I read this essay.   Hope it blesses you! Love, tkb  

  • Perfectionism & Shame

    When the advice exacerbates the problem …

    Let’s pretend there is a 35-year old woman who struggles with a pervasive sense of being “not good enough.” We’ll call her Sara. And let’s further pretend that “Sara” tries really really hard to relate well with people, honor the Lord, etc. etc. but often she fails. Miserably. She says the wrong thing. Does the wrong thing. And her overarching sense of being “bad” often clouds her thinking and feeling and leads her to do the extremely annoying thing of putting herself down. Yes, yes. “Sara” knows this is wrong. There is nothing lovely or edifying about someone putting herself down all the time. It’s unpleasant. Stupid. Unbiblical. Ridiculous. Not…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    How Conflict is like Katrina

    As I read the blogs, news sites, and print media, and as I listen to talk radio and watch the news (hmmm …. maybe I’m spending a little too much time on this topic?), I am struck by just how much the horrible disaster of Katrina is like our interpersonal conflicts. Isn’t it true that in our marriages, churches, workplaces, so often we know that something is wrong (trust has been broken, we are offended or feel betrayed, our love is growing cold), but for the time being, we can carry on our daily lives just like normal and so we do. (Like knowing that a retaining wall could be…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    re: Katrina — What pleasures will I give up?

    I’ve been sickened, saddened, shocked, and discouraged by the horrible suffering as well as the wickedness of Man brought out in the devastating events of last week re: Katrina. Of course, I’ve also been rightly humbled, lavishly encouraged, and truly edified by God’s ministration of grace through His Word, His Spirit, and His people. Have you, too, been riveted to your tv? (And we only get three channels in Billings, so that’s saying something strange for us!) Fred and I pray, talk, and wonder … how are we to respond? What is God calling us to do? Give money? Absolutely. Pray? Yes, yes, yes. What about taking in a family?…