Day 16 of Lent, Psalm 22: I am a realist, not a pessimist, for I see things for what “they really are.” (I am sure you have encountered this before.) People like me, take pride in our ability to live sensibly and in reality, even though we may be “the glass is half-empty” kind of …

Day 15 of Lent, Psalm 21: Who would not want some joy? I wish I could pass it out like fliers for anyone to grab. I would like to package joy as a present and give it away. If I could bottle joy like water, it would taste so amazing. I wish I could put …

Day 14 of Lent, Psalm 20: Unanswered prayer — I don’t like to think much about this. Why does it seem like some prayers are answered and some are not? I have prayed for some things for so long, and I start to wonder… It feels like prayers are overlooked and ignored– resulting in heartache, …

Day 13 of Lent, Psalm 19: As a child, I loved playing in the field and the woods behind my house. I spent countless hours back there pretending, observing and exploring. I couldn’t have put it into words at the time, but I felt a joy and a peace in this space.  It could have …

Day 12 of Lent, Psalm 18: There are times hiking in Colorado with my family that one of the boys seems to be weighed down with something in his pockets– which is not good when you are on a long hike and already have trouble keeping up!  We like rocks and collecting them along the …

Day 11 of Lent, Psalm 17: My boys are in the process of building an awesome fort under and between several trees behind our house, with secure branches for the walls and ceiling. They love the challenge of constructing it and making it sturdy. As I stood in the fort today under the woven branches, …

Day 10 of Lent, Psalm 16: Do you ever complain about your portion or your allotment? Does it ever feel like it isn’t enough? Having four boys, there is often a competition and complaint over food and portions: fighting over the amount of food, getting to the food before the next one eats all of …

Day 9 of Lent, Psalm 15: Growing up in the Catholic Church, I would hear things and say things at mass that I did not always understand.  For instance, we would say or sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,” yet I didn’t give much thought to it. “Holy” was a word I used at …

Day 8 of Lent, Psalm 14: Aww- time to be restored. Many people I know are on their “Spring Break” or on a long needed vacation. I imagine we are all hoping to be refreshed or restored — ready to go for another round, right? You may be familiar the following verse from the famous …

Day 7 of Lent, Psalm 13: What are simple things that refresh you? There are certain things that take my mind temporarily off things, like “myself. “ Sometimes I need a break from myself! These things refresh me and bring joy back to my life. As I alluded to last time, there have been very …

Day 6 or Lent, Psalm 12: What speaks of safety or security to you? I love the feeling of arriving to our front door after a long trip. Home is a safe place– inciting a warm and secure feeling. My kids have loved their special blankets or stuffed animals that gave them an obvious secure …

Day 5 of Lent, Psalm 11: I don’t think much about the word “righteousness.” I have been slightly offended at times when I read in the Bible, “There is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).  “Don’t I do good sometimes? I’m not all that bad. How can it say that?” Yet, I don’t believe …

Day 4 of Lent, Psalm 10: I don’t like it when this happens: I am working on something, checking email, scrolling through social media and one of my kids starts talking to me. I say, “A-ha… yea… a-ha.” Then they say, “You aren’t listening, are you?” I don’t like this, because I don’t want to …

Day 3 of Lent, Psalm 9: Walking on the Great Wall of China is more amazing than I expected. The towering and steep walls extend for over 5,000 miles, spanning all types of terrain and landscapes. This massive structure built to protect China from the outside, sought also to provide safety in the inside from …