Contemplations of a Mommy "Monk"

Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. Hosea 2:14 He loves her; she loves him not. He loves her; she loves him not. She loves him, he loves her; she loves him not. It's an unending cycle of unfaithfulness, plaintive pleas for forgiveness, proclaimed love, and then unfaithfulness again. In our day and age, we would tell the guy to give up on this kind of adulteress . She causes him pain with her every move. She disrespects his undying love for her and belittles his patience and adoration. Unrequited love. It makes for a tragic love story, powerfully moving, but painfully disappointing. You know what it was like in High school when you had a crush on a guy and he didn't even know you existed? That pales in comparison. I'm thankful I can say that I've never felt the sting of adultery. But, I know quite a few who have. It's ugly. The agony of being cast aside for a newer model is excruciating. That's how Go...

“I’ve got a golden ticket! I’ve got a golden ticket!” shouted the five children allowed to enter the secretive chocolate factory . But one by one their privileges were taken away when their behavior turned sour. As each child exits the scene, the little men working in the factory usher them out with a song. When we first meet the Oompa Loompa’s, Willie explains that they came from Loompaland where they ate green slimy disgusting caterpillars (which my daughter can demonstrate with spaghetti noodles). Because their diet was so unpleasant, they worshiped the cocoa bean. Literally. A giant cocoa bean mascot danced around while they bowed down to it. My eldest daughter stopped at this point in the movie and turned to me to say, “Mom, that’s very bad. We’re only supposed to worship God.” Hmmm, I think she might have a point here. Idolatry takes many forms, doesn’t it? Is longing for chocolate all day long, slurping it down as if I might never see it again, hoarding it away in my...

In my small group Bible study, we were discussing fairy tales and how they related to our own lives (thanks to John Eldredge ). We spent an entire week talking about our favorite movies and how we related to the main character and why. I was struggling with finding a female heroine that I really admired. I enjoy a good chic flick, but I can’t say I really admire the women characters in such films. I wanted to think of women who were truly heroic – who saved others by their selfless acts. As I recollected favorite stories, fiction and nonfiction, my thoughts turned to Corrie Ten Boom whose powerfully moving story can be found in The Hiding Place . This true story of a woman’s faith surpassing the most tragic of circumstances stood out above any other tale of female heroism and so Corrie Ten Boom became my role model. Corrie’s family sheltered Jews during the German Nazi occupation of Holland, her homeland. The Ten Boom home was a hiding place and a refuge for many people suffering great...

On Monday mornings, my dearest friends gather at my home for spiritual discussions, unloading of personal burdens and fun fellowship. The coffee is brewing but this morning we'll be talking about chocolate. Who among us doesn't love chocolate? We had been reading John Eldredge's book, Waking the Dead , and we were discussing how epic movies and fairy tales mirror our lives. We each had a turn explaining which well known story best described our lives - Cinderella, the Ugly Duckling, and Lord of the Rings were each mentioned. The protagonist of each story mimicking our struggles against flesh, the world and the enemy with a climax of redemption, hope and transformation. (Do you see it? We all relate to Cinderella because we are poor in spirit and longing for Someone to rescue us from this life. He is better than any fairy godmother could ever be and His transformation does not end with the clanging of midnight. We've been changed from rags to riches!) Charlene said she r...