It's irritating. A calling will sound like the beep-beep beep-beep you faintly hear in your sleep-drowsied dreams. At first you will be dimly aware of its alarming persistence, until slowly, slowly, maybe then with a start you’ll curse the break of day. That is to say, it’s unpleasant, a calling, like a fly, buzzing around … Continue reading You Ask Me What A Calling Feels Like
A Reflection on Mark 2:1-12 Jesus Heals a Paralysed Man – vie de Jesus mafa Jesus, you looked with compassion on the men who disassembled the roof of your home to bring their paralyzed friend before you. They tore through the structure that kept you protected from the rain, sheltered from the hot sun. The … Continue reading On Disassembling Jesus’ House
I woke this morning before dawn and went outside into the chilly almost-spring air. As I watched the sky fade from black to that early morning blue, stars twinkling out one by one, all at once I was struck by the unusual quiet of the moment. Birds were chirping, my wind chime was singing a … Continue reading A Moment of Clarity in the Midst of Crisis
A Reflection on Luke 24 They said it was an “idle tale”. The women rushed into the house with wide eyes and fierce conviction, proclaiming that Jesus’ tomb was empty, that angels greeted them, that Jesus is risen. And the men brushed aside the women’s word like you’d brush away a delicate butterfly. An "idle … Continue reading Before Peter Spoke, Women Preached
Abba Father, like my girl quietly playing with her toys while I sit nearby book in my lap, and she looks up at me, eyes alight with wonder, crying, "Look, mama!" wanting me to see the spectacular discovery before her of how colors of clay blend in her kneading hands - and I smile and … Continue reading I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul (Psalm 131)
I don't often share posts about my thoughts on Scripture, but Mary of Bethany has captured my imagination this week and I felt compelled to share her story. I am intrigued by the outrageous display of affection she lavished upon Jesus in John 12:1-8. This is an easy story to gloss over, to write-off as … Continue reading Love Unbound: A Glimpse into Mary of Bethany
Dear Readers, Today's post comes from my husband, Kevin Johnson. Kevin is not just the love of my life, he's also a wonderful father to our girls. One of the things I admire so much about his parenting is his intentionality. He seizes every moment available to teach, to love, to bond, to fight for … Continue reading The Fight For Fatherhood
She snagged my phone from the bedside table while I was getting ready for the day. When I finally discovered her schemes, she was standing in my room, head bowed over my phone, adjusting the filter on a foot-selfie she had just snapped. Y'all, she's two. A few days later I went through my phone … Continue reading Those Little Feet (sacrifice & joy: the paradox of parenting)
What does love look like? Like water spilling onto the floor as Jesus dipped his hands into the basin and wiped the dirt from his disciples' calloused feet. Love is a messy business. I can see them - the twelve disciples, with their shifty eyes, sweating palms, nervous laughs - what in the world is … Continue reading What Does Love Look Like? (A Maundy Thursday Poem)
It feels like a shield of armor. Listen to me, and you'll be safe. It feels like a strong bodyguard. I'm here to protect you. It feels like a trustworthy friend. Stick with me, and you'll be fine. Let's face it, Fear is appealing. Addictive, maybe. We don't want to leave home without it. We … Continue reading Fear Is Not My Friend
Rev. Laura Johnson 