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A Christian Perspective on Abortion
Introduction When I approached my sisters about writing a response to the current abortion debate, we were all a bit hesitant. Our mission at Rhubarb and Rubbish isn’t political, not even close. However, the more we discussed it, the more we felt we needed to put it out in the world. First and foremost, abortion is a biblical issue, as it deals with life, creation, and our connection to others. Second, all three of us have experienced harassment over our pro-life views at one time or another. Third, all three of us have recognized that in most cases that harassment stemmed from a lack of understanding of why we hold…
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Mourning and Celebrating at the Same Time: A Paradox of Faith
It is September, which means we are moving into fall schedules or readjusting to them. School, church activitiees, and holiday planning are here or else on the near horizon. I love fall. The cooler temperatures, the beauty of the changing leaves, the smell of crisp morning air, and the anticipation of cuddling by the fire. I celebrate all of these things. But, I also mourn. I mourn the loss of the daylight sun. I mourn the loss of time outdoors and the energy that comes from it. I mourn the loss of freedom for the children, as they move indoors and behind desks. I am reminded today, as I write,…
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September Devotional
Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Thought: The prophet Zephaniah warns the Israelites of the coming Day of the Lord. A book full of God’s judgment but also tempered by the hope of his grace and mercy. The devotional verse focuses on God’s presence in our midst, his mercy, and his love. Without God, we are on a slow march to death and destruction. With God, we are saved, created new–the old has…
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Community, Anniversaries, and Absence: Where are all the young people?
My husband and I had the great opportunity to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of our Pastor and his wife this past weekend. The celebration was a laid-back affair with cake and coffee, some fun guessing games, and a dance. My husband and I did get at least one dance in, something we rarely ever do. The following day I was thinking about the event and realized that my husband and I were one of only a few younger couples. The majority of the attendees were older, near retirement, or retired individuals and couples, particularly the attendees that weren’t family members. The realization had me wondering where were all the…
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Sprinter or Long-Distance Runner? Running the race God has set before us.
On Sunday, I had the pleasure of hearing a sermon preached by a former pastor. Pastor John will be 86 this fall. On the day of the service, he got up and drove 3.5 hours to preach at 9:30 am and had plans to eat and drive home later that day. Ironically enough, his sermon text focused on Hebrews 12:1-3 and highlighted how we are to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (NIV). In Pastor John’s sermon, he mentioned a former classmate of his that ran long-distance track events. The young man would always burst out in front at the start of the race, sprinting as fast…
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Earthly Relationships as a Reflection of Our Relationship with God
I recently read in my daily devotional that our earthly relationships reflect the state of our relationship with God (Welch, 2021). When I first read it, I thought, ‘Sure, that makes sense.’ Then I stopped, ‘Wait, what does that mean?’ The devotional discussed the impact of shame on our relationships, particularly when we disappoint others. I thought back to times as a child when I knew my parents would be disappointed when they found out about something I did or did not do—that speeding ticket, a lost class assignment, the garbage still sitting by the back door. Sometimes, okay often, when I knew disappointment would be the reaction, I would…
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Lessons from a River Turtle: Live by Faith, Not By Sight
If you have been following our blog for some time, you may remember that I frequently write about my two black labs, Blue and Tex. As all good labs, Blue and Tex possess an energy level that requires active play each and every day. Every morning I load them up and take them to a wooded area by the river about a mile from our house to let them sniff and explore followed by a few dozen retrieves. Earlier this spring the dogs sniffed out a river turtle laying eggs on the shore. It is not unusual to see snapping turtles on the river. A few weeks ago, when I…
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Learning how to SIT with Jesus.
I’ve done daily devotionals for years, but I need to confess something about my efforts. I go through streaks of inconsistency. Sometimes I miss a day here and there. Other times, I miss weeks at a time. Sometimes I start a study and then my interest dwindles and I tuck it away in a cupboard. Even when I am being diligent, sometimes I’m just going through the motions. I read and say, “Yes, Lord. Good to know. I should work on that.” I used to think that my lackluster performance was due to the demands of life, the ebbs and flows of energy, and a lack of diligence on my…
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Staying Present: Lessons from Labrador Retrievers
Earlier today my sister called me to go over some plans for the week. I had an installer arrive at my house during the conversation and everything past that point, I can’t recall any details. Earlier this week, I was trying to draft an email while listening to a podcast. Good thing I proofed the email before I sent it! In both cases, and in many others in my life, I was and am not present. I know I am not alone and that many of you can resonate. We live in a busy world full of things that vie for our attention. Some of those things are regrets of…
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Covered in Righteousness: Do I Really Understand the Magnitude?
I have heard the concept of being “clothed in righteousness” most of my life. And, I have understood for a long time that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross allows me to be righteous and holy despite my sin. However, I think you may be similar to me in that as I go about my daily life I don’t necessarily “get” the magnitude of what this means. I recently started a new daily devotional about why we hide (Welch, 2021). The very first day focused on the texts from Genesis 1-3. I was particularly taken aback reading 3:21, which states, “ And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of…
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