Roll the Credits

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PB and I don’t go out to see a movie very often, but when we do, I am always impressed by the long list of names that roll by at the end, each one having contributed to the making of the film. We like to sit through the entire list of credits out of respect for all the hard work and dedication of so many people.

We are the last ones to leave the theater. I just know that if one of my loved ones’ names was rolling by, I’d want to acknowledge it. And point it out to everyone in the theater.

That’s kind of how I feel when I come to one of those long lists of genealogies in the Bible. While it may be tempting to skip over them, I tend to think those names deserve a little attention. After all, they were real people. If God saw fit to include their names in His Word, I should at least acknowledge them.

I’m reading 1 Chronicles in March. (See my Bible Reading Plan 2026) The first several chapters contain long lists of historical records and family lines. This will be a real test of my stick-to-itiveness, but there are gems hidden in there, I’m sure of it. Each name has contributed in some way to the story of Jesus. I’m just glad I don’t have to pronounce any of those names out loud.

Shout out to Hazarmaveth, Hazzelelponi, and Tilgathpilneser.

I see you Ir, Er, and Uz.

Kudos to you, Ulam, and your 150 grandsons. (Thanks for not naming them all.)

You can bet that I’ll be watching the credits roll when season six of “The Chosen” is released. PB’s name will be cast upon the big screen, along with hundreds of other extras. Wait for the “O”s and don’t blink.

Crumbs

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He gives thanks for the loaves,
hands the bread to his disciples,
and 4,000 people eat dinner.

The disciples pick up the scraps, but somehow forget to bring any along for the boat ride home.

Well, there is one little loaf—but that’s not enough to feed 12 hungry men. Right?

There is a discussion. “Why didn’t you bring some of that leftover bread?” “Nobody told me to.” “I thought he was getting some.” “I thought you were.”

The Master asks the next question: “Why are you talking about having no bread?” The embarrassed silence is followed by seven more rapid-fire questions. The men manage to answer two of the eight questions.

The easy ones:

“How many basketfuls did you pick up when I fed 5,000 with 5 loaves?”
“Twelve.”
“How many basketfuls did you pick up when I fed 4,000 with 7 loaves?”
“Seven.”

Then the hard ones:

“Do you have eyes but fail to see? 
Do you have ears but fail to hear? 
Are your hearts hard?
Do you still not understand?
Don’t you remember?”

I think I’m starting to understand.

Followers of Jesus are called to give and serve and feed and clean up after people. The task can appear overwhelming and some days it seems impossible to satisfy the needs of so many. And then Jesus speaks blessing over the paltry offering and a miracle takes place. It’s amazing, but it’s also exhausting. Servants go home tired and realize they didn’t get to eat the miracle meal.

Jesus says, “What do you mean, there’s nothing left for you? What’s in your hand?”

I say, “A few bread crumbs.”

And He says, “Don’t you remember? Don’t you understand?”

Jesus, the great multiplier, is in my boat, where crumbs become a feast.

I’m beginning to understand.

Thick and Thin

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Lent always takes me by surprise.
It seems like we just packed away the Nativity scene
and here we are—already headed for the cross.

I always go into Lent with a sense of trepidation.
Like the disciples, I tend to drag my feet and want to lag behind.

“They were on their way up to Jerusalem,
with Jesus leading the way,
and as the disciples were following
they were filled with terror and dread.”
Mark 10:32 

Again this year, Lord? Really? Do I have to walk the road to Golgotha with You once more? Do I have to witness yet again the torture, the nails, the blood, the injustice of it all? Is it truly necessary to contemplate sacrifice and sorrow, surrender and selflessness? Must I enter the wilderness with You for forty days and forty nights?

Can’t we just meet up on Easter?

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me, a sinner.

I need Lent.

“We need more than a Good Friday service two days in advance to get into the state of mind and heart to celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and hell. We cannot prepare for Easter over the weekend. No, we need to walk a longer pilgrimage to get ready.” Aaron Damiani, The Good of Giving Up

“Lent is about thinning our lives
in order to
thicken our communion with God.”
Alicia Britt Chole, 40 Days of Decrease

I’m in.
I’ll walk this pilgrimage to the cross again.
Through thick and thin.

Be An Olympian

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The Apostle Paul was a sports fan.

He loved a good sports analogy and used them often when talking about the spiritual life: running, wrestling, boxing, winning the prize.

A few miles outside Corinth, the Isthmian Games were held every two years. There were no Airb&bs in the area, so tentmakers made a killing on the sale of temporary shelters for the fans who came from far away.

Paul went to Corinth and met Aquilla and his wife Pricilla “and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.” (Acts 18:3) Maybe he attended an event, or maybe he heard the cheers from the stadium.

The Isthmian Games had competitions in footraces, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus and javelin, the long jump, chariot racing, poetry reading and singing. Yes, poetry reading. And singing. There was only one winner in each category—no second or third place. And there were no medals.

The winner was given a crown made out of celery.

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to get a crown that will not last,
but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
1 Corinthians 9:25

Olympians are inspirational. As I watch the athletes perform at such a high level, I think, “What is behind that one moment of glory?” Champions are made in the things we don’t see. The daily workouts, the daily reps, the daily nutritional program.

Life is built on the dailies, even for average, unathletic people like me who will never stand on an Olympic podium. The seemingly unimportant and unseen daily routines accumulate over time. They determine if I live with halfheartedness or excellence.

What if I approached my life with God as an Olympian?

Could I stick to the consistent discipline of living for Christ?
Do I have enough dedication to take my faith seriously every day?
Are my daily routines helping or hurting my spiritual life?
Am I running the race set before me in such a way to win the prize?

“You will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:4

And it ain’t made of celery.

“Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please!
Workouts in the gymnasium are useful,
but a disciplined life in God is far more so,
making you fit both today and forever.”
1 Timothy 4:8, The Message

Crowded

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“Who do the crowds say I am?” Luke 9:18

Five thousand people were talking. News was out that five little loaves of bread and two measly fish somehow multiplied into dinner for a multitude.

two-fish

The throng was trying to figure out who Jesus was. And they were struggling.

  • John the Baptist, come back to life? Wrong.
  • Elijah, come back to life? Wrong.
  • One of the other Old Testament prophets, come back to life? Wrong.

The crowd was easily confused.

The word “crowd” is found 38 times in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus taught the crowd, He healed the crowd, He fed the crowd, He told the crowd stories, He answered questions from the crowd. And then the crowd disappeared, only to show up later, shouting, “Crucify him!” That’s the crowd for you.

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Luke 9:20

Ah. Now there’s the question.

Step away from the Instagram influencers
and the opinionated opinions
and the ego-centric philosophies.

The crowd is confused.

confused

What about you? Who do you think Jesus is?

It’s the most important question you’ll ever answer.

Take Charge

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Sometimes I’m a take-charge kind of person.

If I see something that needs to be done and nobody is doing it, I don’t mind stepping up to the plate and gettin’ ‘er done. However, if there is someone in my midst who has more “take-charge-ness” than me, I am more than happy to step down and let somebody else get ‘er done.

Taking charge can be a good thing when there needs to be some leadership to accomplish a task. Taking charge can be a bad thing when it’s motivated by control and comes off as bossiness.

So, I had to smile when I read this scripture:

“Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.  When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” Mark 3:20-21

Families are funny that way. We tend to think we have a right to interfere. As a mother, I’ve done my fair share of meddling. And I’m not proud of it. Jesus’ family seemed to think it was time to put an end to the craziness and take Him back to the carpenter’s shop where He belonged. But Jesus didn’t let His mother and brothers derail His mission.

Besides, who can take charge of Jesus?

I need Him to take charge of me.

What the Skibidi?

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What the skibidi is going on?

Skibidi—(adj.) A word with no real meaning; a word that can mean anything you want it to mean.

“Skibidi” was recently added to the Cambridge Dictionary. I admit, it is fun to say. But why are we making up words that have no meaning? Maybe Solomon was on to something:
“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” Ecclesiastes 1:2

Maybe Timothy had a better take:
“The goal is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.” I Timothy 1:5-6

Here’s what got me started on all this:

The Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year for 2025 was:
Parasocial—(adj.) Relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, such as an online influencer, a character in a film or TV series, or an artificial intelligence. 

The 2025 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year was:
Rage Bait—(n.) Online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account.

The Merriam-Webster 2025 Word of the Year was:
Slop—(n.) Digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.

The Dictionary.com Word of the Year was:
6 7—(n. or adj.) A slang term that is intentionally vague or nonsensical.

If those four words define our times, what does that say about us?
We can’t connect to real people in our midst,
so we wallow in slop
and take the bait that leads to rage?
6 7
Lord, have mercy.

This parasocial, angry, slop-filled world is in desperate need of good news.
Can we deliver?

We are bringing the good news to you,
so that you turn from these meaningless things
to the living God.
Acts 14:15

Lord, help us to shine like stars in the universe
as we hold out the Word of Life.
Philippians 2:15-16

Kindness

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Five years ago I started a nine-year quest to work my way through the fruits of the Spirit, as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. This year, it’s kindness.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

At the beginning of this journey through the nine character traits, I figured if I spent a whole year developing each fruit, I’d be a pretty darn good Christian by 2030.

This is my half-way point and, honestly, I haven’t seen great improvement in my character. I still struggle with unloving thoughts, mopey attitudes, anxiety, and impatience. Alas, I can’t squeeze out those admirable fruits no matter how many Bible verses I read about them.

It took me five years to notice something:
These characteristics are fruit of the SPIRIT, not fruit of the DINAH.
They are not my project to conquer, but the work of the Spirit in me.

I’m slow to learn.

Here’s the best part.

In my study thus far, what has stood out to me is the astounding love of God, the abundant joy of the Lord, His peace that passes understanding, and the long-suffering patience of the Father. Instead of making strides in my own character development, I’m finding myself at the receiving end of God’s perfect character.

I’m not going to put a “Be Kind” sign in my front yard, or get a “Choose Kindness” tattoo. I’m not even going to try really hard to be a kinder, gentler person.

I am going to pay attention to the kindness of God
and hope some of it rubs off
as the Spirit works it in.

Yield

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Back in December,
I started asking God if He had a word for me to carry into the new year.
Nothing came.

I kept asking and tried to listen.
Nothing.

I started to get a little twitchy when January 1st came and went.
Still no word.

Me: Lord, what word do You have for me in 2026?
God: What word do you have for Me?
Me: (long pause) Huh? You are waiting for me to pick a word?
God: I yield the word-picking to you this year.
Me: Yield.
God: Good word.

Yield is a good word. It does double duty as a noun and a verb.
Yield, n. — quantity of harvest or income produced
Yield, v. — to give up or surrender; to give precedence to; to relinquish

Two years ago, I copied down this quote:

“Abiding is a humble, gentle persistency
in attending to Jesus and only to Him,
and a kind of unyielding yieldedness to Him alone.”
(Leighton Ford, The Attentive Life)

Those two words “unyielding yieldedness” stuck with me.
I’m going to spend the coming year figuring out what that means.
And how to do it.

Offer yourselves to God as those alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness, yielded to God.
Romans 6:13


One More Thing

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Never in my blogging life of 16 years have I ever posted twice in one day.
Just had to sneak this one in before the clock strikes twelve.
I’ll leave you alone until next Thursday.
Promise.

Here are my twelve tribes in all their pajama glory.
#12 got lots of love from his cousins.

Three big boys.
Three big girls.
Three little girls.
Three little boys.
I couldn’t have come up with a more symmetrical arrangement.

We forced one more Nativity scene and I expect it will be our last.
What else were we to do with a 10-day-old in our midst?
He was the star of the show.
If you’re counting, we are short one sheep.
The 6-year-old refused to put on a silly costume and join the fun,
even though Opa bribed him with suckers.
I like his spunk.

God bless us, every one!

Until next year!