As I sit at my computer building an online jigsaw puzzle and glance out the window at the front yard a sense of peace and contentment settles in my soul. I say a quick prayer of thanks to God for the beauty, both man-made and natural, in this world. When I’m struggling with stress and…
Author: anchoredvoice
The Beauty of Darkness
I don’t know about you, but I am on the lookout for beauty these days. It feels like so many things are ugly, marred, broken, and difficult. I long for the perceived “easy” days of childhood, when my parents navigated the waters of adulthood and brought magic and beauty into our days with a simple…
The Unknown
In the past, as I closed out one year and welcomed another, I would plan, set goals, and resolve. And while I acknowledged a certain element of the unknown ahead of me and desired to “hold my plans loosely”, I generally felt confident that the story of the coming twelve months was mostly mine to…
Seeing the Invisible
Early in our marriage, my husband and I attended a church with a memorable tradition: on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s, there would be no sermon. Instead, anyone and everyone was encouraged to walk up to the open microphone and share a few words with the congregation. The basic question, on which we…
The Weary World Rejoices
Jesus Christ was born into a weary world, unto a weary people. God’s last word to the Jewish people had been four hundred years prior in the book of Malachi. A vast silence had echoed in the following centuries. Israel had been ruled by Greece, Syria, and finally at the time of Jesus’ birth, the…
10 Ways to Find the Calm of Christmas
This phrase has a hold on me this year. “All is calm, all is bright.” My heart yearns for this. You will recognize this second line of “Silent Night” describing the first Christmas. As we sing, we’re tempted to picture Mary and Joseph haloed in light in a nice clean stable, surrounded by serene animals,…
Take the Time
Big dreams sometimes come in the darkest of winters. As a young girl, I could often be found on these dark nights watching the images of the beautiful ice skaters move across the television. I sat spellbound as their glittering costumes, and the graceful, rhythmic movements stole my heart. At the tender age of 7,…
Of Patience and Promises
Years ago, I attended a weekend retreat where the speakers invited everyone to line up and receive a prophetic word from the Lord. I hadn’t grown up in that kind of church, and I was feeling a bit skeptical as I shuffled toward the front of the room with a bunch of other women in…
Learning from Mary at the Feet of Jesus
Mary of Bethany is mentioned three times in the Gospels and each time she is at the feet of Jesus. In Luke 10 she quietly sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him. In John 11 she sorrowfully falls at Jesus’ feet because her brother has died. And in John 12 she worshipfully wipes Jesus’ feet…
An Expectant Heart
Recently, on the drive to school, my boys were snuggled into their seats with blankets and heavy coats. Overnight the fall air had descended and turned the warmer temperatures into promises of apple cider and pumpkins. As we drive the curves to our little school in the middle of cornfields, we have a routine. …
Anchored Voices 