A Time of Lament
Do you find yourself in a season of loss? Maybe you’ve lost a loved one, a job, or a friendship, or your expectations have been disappointed in some area of your life. Loss is an inevitable experience in this life.
What are we to do with the loss? Our culture would tell us to keep busy, move on to plan B or C, seek the next goal, and move forward. In contrast, if we look to scripture, we see Psalms expressing anguish, disappointment, and despair. At Bible study, we recently …
In Christ Alone
In 2018, my grandpa passed away. I remember him sitting down with us a few months prior as he explained the rapid effects of ALS and his acceptance that he’d be with the Lord very soon. It was very difficult to grasp – listening to someone I loved so dearly talk with my siblings and me about death. And yet, his words exemplified contentedness and peace. Though we all felt incredible sadness, he made…
Drawing Closer to Our Shepherd: A Meditation on Psalm 23
Guided meditation is helpful in quieting our hearts, refocusing our attention on Jesus, and putting our feet on the path of being more like Jesus Christ. Recently, we have been encouraged, challenged and strengthened by the study of and meditation on Psalm 23. May God's goodness continue to lead us back to the living waters and peace that He alone provides.
Support Your Local Pastor (and Their Family!) PART 3
The following is the gist of a conversation between Gail and Linda Moore, director of by design and herself a pastor’s wife. PART 3
Support Your Local Pastor (and Their Family!) PART 2
The following is the gist of a conversation between Gail MacDonald and Linda Moore, director of by design and herself a pastor’s wife. PART 2
Those Not-So-Great Expectations
It was early in our marriage, and we were visiting my parents. We’d been there a couple of hours, and I was settling in for the day. My husband Ray, however, seemed restless, and I couldn’t understand why. Turns out, he had expected a one-hour visit and had made plans for the rest of the day. What!?
Lasting Impact: The Graceful Influence of Every Woman
I believe we all owe Martha an apology. No human was ever created to serve solely as a sermon illustration. Why are we tempted to continually pit Martha against her sister Mary? No one has ever written a book titled, “Don’t be a Peter, be a John.”
IN MEMORIAM
But when it came to letting our individual lights shine? I was a 40-watt bulb. Cindy was a chandelier. A deep friendship launched that was to have lasted a lifetime. Or should have.
Support Your Local Pastor (and Their Family!) PART 1
The following is the gist of a conversation between Gail and Linda Moore, director of by design and herself a pastor’s wife.
Think Cellular
These days the word “cellular” is associated mostly with mobile phone technology – but this is not about that! This reflection is about the human body and, more specifically, the trillions of cells in each of us. These microscopic organisms work on our behalf day in and day out. But unlike all the other living things in our lives – like kids or pets – we rarely listen or attend to them until they demand our attention. Why is that?I have...
Navigating Motherhood
I was born in the 1950s after three brothers, and I felt cherished by my mother. She’d tell me the story of how, back then, the babies were taken away and cared for by the nursery staff. She thought she was told she’d had a girl. She told me she didn’t dare ask what sex the baby was, for fear ...
Who’s a Fraidy-Cat?
Were you a fraidy-cat like me? As a young Christian woman, I was an introvert with very little confidence, to the point of being timid and afraid of my own shadow – it was truly pitiful. You miss out on so much of life, and most importantly, you miss out on the joy of fulfilling what God prepared in advance for you to do.
Contentment
Mick Jagger sang “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” in the early 1960s but several years later wisely sang “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The refrain of that song is “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try real hard you just might find that you get what you need.”Truer words were never spoken! Except ...
This Truly Is the Day That the Lord Has Made
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24 Doesn’t that make you smile; doesn’t that make you reflect on the goodness in your day, the goodness in your life? I can find lots of things that make me glad – good friends, good jobs, a great family, a good juicy hamburger (let’s get real here, you know it, too), and many more things that remind me that the Lord has made many wonderful days for us to rejoice in.But do we say and feel that so easily on the not-so-good days?
Still Learning
Sunday meant church. My brother and his wife are members of a more conservative Presbyterian church. I attend an Episcopal church that’s not as conservative. But both congregations love Jesus, work at knowing and loving each other and welcoming those outside the church. As a family, we don’t agree on everything, but who does? But we love each other. Period.However,
Housecleaning
There seem to be two different philosophies on housecleaning: the “ongoing” philosophy and the “event” philosophy. Since opposites seem to attract, most households have one person in each philosophical camp. I can still hear my mother saying, “Pick it up!” (that thing, whatever it was, that always escaped the notice of my youthful eyes). I remember my father saying, “Put it back where it belongs.” Clearly, my parents beat the odds; they both lived in the same camp. I’m in the “ongoing” camp now, too.My husband … not so much. For him, ...
A Legacy of Faith
As I thought of what to share about passing on a legacy of faith, my thoughts turned to the individuals who had the greatest impact on my faith. Certainly, it was my parents, my older sister, Sunday School teachers, and even Christian college professors. But in recent years, as I have gotten older, my thoughts have turned to my maternal grandmother and how her spiritual life shaped mine.My grandmother, Mari Megyesi, came to America from Hungary in the early 1900s as a very young bride
Living the Sacred within the Secular
Ever wonder about the “how” of sharing your faith? Is it a personality characteristic, a spiritual gift, an imperative? Have you wondered whether it is safe to share the gospel or even to mention that you’re a Christ follower in this age of Christian nationalism, post-millennialism, and extremism? How to fulfill that mission – living the sacred within the secular?
Enter Light
I’m sure it will come as no shock to anyone who knows me that I’m not a big fan of Metallica. But I am a HUGE fan of Virginia Tech. And when we started following Virginia Tech sports this year, we found out that before every home football and basketball game, they play the Metallica song Enter Sandman over the huge sound system. Even if heavy metal isn’t your thing, there is something truly fearsome about ...
Boot Prints: When Is It OK to Let Others Tramp into Your Life?
But what about people who come tramping into your life, leaving their muddy boot prints all over your business? Don’t they understand you have enough to deal with already? Why should you ...