About Barbara Harper

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Are You Full?

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Nearly every time I come to the table for lunch, the napkin holder needs to be refilled. I guess it makes sense that we use a similar number of napkins each day, so they need to be refilled around the same time. Yet I sometimes find myself irked that I need to stop and get napkins from the pantry before I can eat.

It seems like many things constantly need to be refilled: the salt and pepper shakers, paper towel holders, toilet paper holders, tea pitcher, ice trays, liquid soap dispensers, countertop hot water dispenser. On a larger scale, the dishwasher, washer and dryer, pantry, freezer, refrigerator.

I used to cringe when media called us consumers. But after becoming an adult and managing my own household, it didn’t take too long to understand why that description stuck. We’re constantly using and replacing supplies.

I could reframe my irritated thoughts more positively by being thankful I have things like napkin holders and salt shakers that make life more comfortable, and I have the means to keep refilling them.

I began to think of the immaterial ways we need to be filled.

We fill our minds with knowledge–not that we use it up, but there are constantly new things to learn.

We fill our souls with beauty and inspiration.

And most importantly, our spirits need to be filled with:

The Holy Spirit. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). We receive the Holy Spirit when we’re saved, but the Bible records numerous instance of people being filled with His Spirit multiple times.

The knowledge of His will. “That you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

The fruit of righteousness. “Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:11).

Praise to God. “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day” (Psalm 71:8).

Goodness. “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” Romans 15:14).

Joy and peace. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13; also Psalm 16:11).

Joy in prayer. “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

Joy in His presence. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Joy in obeying and abiding in Him. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:1-11).

Strength. “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might (Proverbs 24:5).

Assurance of understanding. “That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).

Assurance in the will of God. “That you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).

Assurance of hope. “And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11-12).

Assurance of faith. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

The fullness of God. “To know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Thankfully, God doesn’t complain about filling us, and He’ll never tire of refilling us. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).

Mary E. Maxwell expresses this so well in her hymn “Channels Only”:

How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That I might Thy channel be.

Refrain:
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous pow’r
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.

Just a channel full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around;
To tell out Thy full salvation,
All Thy loving message sound.

Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no pow’r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command.

Witnessing Thy pow’r to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou who boughtest to possess me,
In Thy fullness, Lord, come in.

Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know;
That the streams of living water
From our inner self may flow.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Barbara Harper

I hope you have a great Saturday! There are a few good reads here if you have time.

Four Prayer Responses to the Murder of Charlie Kirk, HT to Tim Challies, who has curated several posts on different aspects of Kirk’s murder here.

I don’t often link to Facebook posts, but this one shared by a friend from author Tricia White Priebe points out how rejoicing over Charlie Kirk’s murder shows society’s lack of value of human dignity.

O Lord, Heal Our Land. “Anyone who lived through the late 1960s and early 1970s, as I did, can see the parallels between then and now. And yesterday’s assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah has left us all stunned, wondering about our own future as a nation.”

Bible Reading as a Blessing, Not a Burden, HT to Challies. “I loathe the times I’m distracted by a screen, or a crick in the neck, or an overly groggy eye. Or even worse, when the pillow seems more pleasing. I suspect I’m not alone in my laments and loathes. And I bet you want to hang on the word of God, too.”

How to Rightly Train Your Affections, HT to Challies. “While human preferences for food or favorite football teams may be value neutral, preferences are not always so. We are commanded by God to prefer certain things. Or to shift again to the language of affections, God calls his people to rejoice in, love, and desire certain things and to despise other things. Our affections, in other words, are not always value neutral. We are responsible for training them according to the revealed will of God.”

Making Space for Others, HT to the Story Warren. “Let’s scoot over. Make room. Here, take this spot and sit by us. If you are walking into a space as a new student, neighbor, or church visitor, those can be some of the kindest words ever spoken. As a woman in my mid-fifties, I’m shocked that the awkwardness of junior high floods back so quickly when I am in a new situation. And, as a ministry leader who usually runs the room, I can forget how it feels to walk into an unfamiliar one.”

Go Ahead, Bring a Knife to a Gunfight. “God calls each one of us to battle for the right and against the wrong, and it’s a simple fact that many of us are not equipped with the kind of weapon we would prefer to carry into such a conflict. Many of us look at the weapons wielded by others and wish we had theirs instead of ours. Yet in the battle for God’s cause, he always means for us to put to use the weapon we have on hand with the conviction that he will bless our efforts, no matter how weak or paltry those weapons may seem.”

The Good Always the Enemy of the Best. “Somewhere along the way, despite our desire to give our children the best, we can find ourselves spending vast amounts of time, energy, and money pursuing the good instead. How does this happen? We become deceived. Deceived by culture. Deceived by our well-meaning friends. Deceived, sometimes, even by Christians.”

The Most Exasperating and Least Rewarding. I’ve been pondering similar thoughts recently. “If you move to a new town and search for a new church, it’s unlikely you will find one that offers everything you’d prefer a church to offer—every doctrine, every emphasis, every association, every ministry, every preference. You may love the music, but wish there was a greater emphasis on liturgy. You may appreciate the effort that goes into evangelism, but lament the lack of effort that goes into youth ministry. The preaching may be just what you are after, but the small-group ministry is sputtering. Yet churches are bundled—you have to weigh the weaknesses against the strengths and the desirable qualities against the undesirable. Perfection isn’t an option.”

Journaling God’s Faithfulness: 10 Questions to Develop This Faith-Building Habit. If you’d like to keep a spiritual journal, this post has a lot of good suggestions for what to write about.

Is Being Pro-Life Really Just “Pro-Forced Birth?” HT to Challies. No, and this article explains why. “When it comes to moral issues, like abortion, we must always be alert for the word games, rhetorical ploys, and manipulative language that distort the truth and make something evil look good.”

Don’t Do Everything for Your Kids, HT to Challies. It’s interesting that I have seen this theme in a number of blog posts lately. “What I’d like to suggest today is that just as important as giving your kids opportunities to play soccer or violin or go to that birthday party or go to the park or do that activity or play that game with them is to allow yourself time to read the Bible or a book or to spend time with your spouse. It’s possible to give too much to your children, sacrificially, at the expense of your wellbeing and the relationship with your spouse (if you have one). And that will not serve your children, yourself, or your marriage well.”

The closer we are to the Shepherd,
the safer we are from wolves.
Unknown

Friday’s Fave Fives

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Barbara Harper

On Friday’s, I intentionally exercise gratefulness for the week by sharing highlights of it with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story. This has been one of those weeks where I sit down at the computer to write this post and think, “Okay, what did happen this week?” It’s gone by in a blur. But let’s see if I can come up with five things.

1. A few very productive days. I have things going on four days in a row next week, so I wanted to get as much done ahead of time as possible so I wouldn’t get stressed then. Thankfully, the first few days of this week went really well.

2. Ladies’ Bible study at church. We’re in Exodus from now until December. I am often amazed at what new observations pop out at me from well-known passages. Studying with others helps bring out even more from the text.

3. Lunch with Jason’s family Sunday after church at that Kern’s Food Hall again. As a bonus, that place has a really good donut vendor. Since I am trying to keep sugar under control, I don’t get donuts very often. I almost never get a whole package of them–that would be too much temptation. To bring one home with my decaf coffee for dessert felt like a wonderful indulgence.

4. White cheddar mac and cheese. We tried this from Arby’s along with our sandwiches one night this week. So good.

5. Comfort. Like most of us, I was shocked by the murder of Charlie Kirk this week, and dismayed to learn that people on the other side of the political fence were actually rejoicing over it. I don’t know what happened to the free exchange of ideas in this country and everyone’s right to free speech. Whatever disagreements we have with each other, they should never result in violence, especially murder. These things should spur us on to more prayer. I was helped by the Scripture truths that came to mind in this post as well as others I read yesterday.

When Evil Gets Worse

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Barbara Harper

The murder of Charlie Kirk yesterday, recent senseless shootings, the remembrance of the 9/11 attack today, all have me echoing Andrew Peterson’s beautiful song, “Is He Worthy?”:

Do you feel the world is broken?

We do.

Do you feel the shadows deepen?

We do.

But do you know that all the dark won’tStop the light from getting through?

We do.

Do you wish that you could see it all made new?

We do.

Last night, I was pondering how to pray about yesterday’s shooting. We pray for justice for the murderer, comfort and grace for the family, for God to turn hearts to Himself through this. But I wanted to pray, “Please make this stop.”

A phrase from a verse about evil men getting worse kept coming to mind, so I looked it up. It’s from 2 Timothy 3:12-13: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

Earlier in the chapter, Paul writes this:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

That sounds like our day, doesn’t it? And the Bible says it’s only going to get worse until Jesus returns.

So what did God inspire Paul to write to Timothy in light of the increasing evil in the world?

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

Keep on reading, studying, living out Scripture. The written Word is light (Psalm 119:105) that teaches us of the living Word, Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12). Evil doesn’t obscure that light; it proves it and points to the need for it. Evil shouldn’t shake our faith in God’s truth, but should make us cling to it and share it even more.

Someday Jesus will return and set all things right, make the crooked things straight. Until then, we join with the psalmist in saying, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).

(Note: This post is not an endorsement of everything Kirk has ever said: I don’t know all he said. I only recently learned who who he was. But I know he was a professing Christian who tried to stand up for truth the best he knew how and should not have been murdered because of a difference in politics. The main point of this post is to point us to God’s light in an increasingly dark world.)

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Review: A Face Illumined

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Barbara Harper

In A Face Illumined by Edward Payson Roe, Harold Van Berg is an artist attending a concert when he sees a striking young woman in the audience. He thinks her almost perfect face is so beautiful that he would love to paint it. But as he observes her, he finds that she is shallow and flirtatious. He’s disturbed that such beauty is ruined by her demeanor.

He overhears that she and her mother are going to a certain resort for the next few weeks. He decides to take his painting gear and go to the same resort. He wants to see if he can possibly awaken “thought, with womanly character and intelligence” in her.

He attempts his project first of all by expressing silent disapproval, which the girl, Ida, senses immediately. Rankled by his judgment, she determines to get back at him. But she realizes her usual way of handling men won’t work with him.

Then a pretty, sweet, kind teacher named Jenny comes to the resort. Isa sees how Harold, as well as others, respond to Jenny. She hears Jenny’s praises sung. She believes Harold is falling in love with Jenny. In fact, he seems to have forgotten Ida altogether.

Ida realizes her faults, but not knowing how to be any way other than what she is, she’s driven to despair and almost tragedy. Fortunately, a kind older man in a garden points her to One who loves her and can change her.

And Harold is stunned along the way to discover some of his own imperfections. “His confidence in his own sagacity received the severest shock it had ever experienced” (p. 203).

Edward Payson Roe was a Presbyterian pastor in the 1800s who also wrote fiction and horticulture books. I first read and loved He Fell In Love with His Wife by him when a friend mentioned it. I found some of his other books free for the Kindle app, but just got around to this one.

Of course, the language is old-fashioned. Some of the sentences are excessively long. I like to read books from this era partly so as not to lose the ability to.

The plot might seem a little odd in our day. We would notice that someone seems shallow, but I don’t think many of us would set ourselves a mission to try to improve that person n the way Harold did.

But setting all that aside, this ended up being a tender, lovely story.

Some of the quotes I marked:

He was less versed in human nature than art, and did not recognize in the forced and obtrusive gayety the effort to stifle the voice of an aroused conscience (p. 31, Kindle app).

Beauty without mind is like salad without dressing (p. 55).

The number of those who rise above their circumstances with a cheery courage are but few (p. 71).

A genuine man, such as she had not seen or at least not recognized before, had stepped out before the gilt and tinsel, and the miserable shams were seen in contrast in their rightful character (p. 106).

What a heaven it would be to look up into the eyes of a man I could trust, and who honored me (p. 120).

What an unknown mystery each life is, even to the lives nearest to it! (p. 150).

Mr. Mayhew was a tired, busy man, who visited at his own home rather than lived there (p. 154).

Was she not seeking to make her life an altar on which she laid as a gift to others the best treasures of her woman’s soul? (p. 160).

It is a fearful thing to permit a child to grow up ignorant of God, and of the sacred principles of duty which should be inwrought in the conscience, and enforced by the most vital considerations of well-being, both for this world and the world to come (p. 180).

When the storm was loudest and most terrible, his hand was on the helm, and now I am entering the quiet harbor (p. 194).

It was our imperfection and wickedness that brought Christ to our rescue, and yet you have been made to believe that your chief claim upon our Divine Friend is a hopeless barrier against you! (p. 210).

The hopeless fools are those who never find themselves out (p. 245).

Roe says in his preface that seeing a “beautiful but discordant face” at a concert some years earlier became this story, though he doesn’t know that person’s fate. Also, “The old garden, and the aged man who grew young within it, are not creations, but sacred memories.” He writes his earnest wish is “That the book may tend to ennoble other faces than that of Ida.”

The Only Bloodline That Matters

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Bloodlines used to mean a great deal in society. Many a Regency-era romance involves a highborn person who falls hopelessly in love with someone who is wonderful and kind, but off-limits because of their low birth. Even now we speak of someone being from “a good family.”

I’ve often been curious about my ancestry, but I’ve never investigated how to research family history. I don’t know much about relatives who lived before my grandparents. It’s fun to hear others talk about what kind of people they came from. Well-thought of ancestors can make us feel good about ourselves. But it’s embarrassing to find out we come from a criminal or some otherwise unfavorable lineage.

Recently someone reminded me of John Harper, one of the men on the Titanic who died in the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. He was a Scottish pastor who spent his last hours clinging to wreckage from the ship, sharing the gospel with everyone within earshot, refusing rescue so others who weren’t ready to die could have more time to be saved.

I think one of my husband’s relatives once told us we were related to John Harper. I found myself hoping we were, as if something of his character could rub off on our family through his bloodline.

In Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot, she shared this from her grandfather, Philip E. Howard, from his book, Father and Son:

Do you remember that encouraging word of Thomas Fuller’s, a chaplain of Oliver Cromwell’s time? It’s a good passage for a father in all humility and gratitude to tuck away in his memory treasures:

Lord, I find the genealogy of my Savior strangely checkered with four remarkable changes in four immediate generations.

Rehoboam begat Abijah; that is, a bad father begat a bad son.
Abijah begat Asa; that is, a bad father begat a good son.
Asa begat Jehoshaphat; that is, a good father begat a good son.
Jehoshaphat begat Joram; that is, a good father begat a bad son.

I see, Lord, from hence that my father’s piety cannot be entailed; that is bad news for me. But I see also that actual impiety is not always hereditary; that is good news for my son.

A godly heritage is a blessing in many ways, but godliness isn’t passed through our bloodlines. The family we come from doesn’t guarantee heaven for us. We can’t coast on their faith. We have to repent of sin and believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord for ourselves. We need to read and love His Word and develop our own personal relationship with Him.

A bad family is a problem in many ways, but it doesn’t doom us for life and eternity. God’s grace is available to all who will receive it.

Genealogies have a purpose in the Bible, but not as a predictor of who will or won’t believe on the Lord.

It’s not whose blood flows through our veins that determines our characters or our destiny. It’s whose blood flowed on the cross.

None of us is highborn in a spiritual sense. We’re all sinners to some degree. Some are worse than others, but we’re all sinful enough to receive hell.

Only the sinless Son of God could live a life of perfect righteousness before His Father. How amazing that He took our sinfulness on Himself so His righteousness would count for us. What a wonderful Savior to love us even when we were His enemies and sacrifice so much so we could be saved and transformed.

(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)

Laudable Linkage

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Some of the good reads found this week:

When Will Meta Stop Trying to Hurt Children? HT to Challies. This is disturbing. “Why would Meta provide AI chatbot guidance for its chatbots with the rationale: ‘It is acceptable to engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual?‘ It’s really as simple as it is disgusting: more engagement = more money. Let me explain.”

Are You Correctable? HT to Challies. “When someone corrects me, I automatically feel a little defensive. I think of all the reasons why I’m right and why the situation is more complicated than it appears. I want to come out looking like I’m not so bad, and that others would understand if they were in my shoes. I’m not alone. It’s not easy to receive correction from others. But being correctable is essential to our maturity and growth.”

Significant Others: Living Selfless While Single. “As a single woman, the sting of feeling unseen, unvalued, or overlooked can feel enormous. When you watch others receiving what you long for—and then go home to an empty house with no significant other to meet you at the door—it’s easy to feel . . . well, insignificant. But Scripture shows that true significance doesn’t come from being at the center of someone’s world.”

Seven Reasons (Almost) Every Man Should (Try to) Get Married, HT to Challies. I’ve seen a lot lately on how our shallower and more impersonal online tendencies seem to be eroding our propensity for deeper, long-term relationships. This article gives reasons why marriage, a particular type of deeper relationship, is a good thing.

The Better Way of Christian Parenting, HT to Challies. “Rather than grant your child’s every desire, your job as a parent is to use your God-given authority to redirect those desires toward righteousness (love of God and neighbor) and to train your child to righteously handle the common human experience of coping with the disappointment of unfulfilled desires.”

In a similar vein, Do You Love Your Children Enough to Displease Them? HT to Challies. “One of the hardest parts of parenting is displeasing our children. This often happens when we tell our kids ‘no’ or hold them accountable for their actions. We naturally want to please our children and give them good gifts, which reflects the character of our giving God (Matt. 7:11). However, this good desire can go too far and cause damage without proper boundaries.”

Parents, We’re Doing Too Much. “We’re too often in constant contact with our children. They don’t have any opportunities to learn critical thinking skills because they text us every question in their brains to get quick advice about what to say, which door to walk through, which paper to fill out, and on and on forever. Our kids need chances to assess situations for themselves, to reason through even very complicated scenarios, to rely on the Lord more than they rely on us. Kids need to have chances to make mistakes, to get embarrassed, to deal with drama, to learn that they can handle life.”

Is Spoiling Your Grandkids Blessing Them? “‘Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly’ (Prov. 17:6). Few things in life compare to the privilege of being a grandma, of holding in your arms a baby that was born to your own son or daughter. It really does feel like winning a crown! All other interests are set aside when there is an opportunity to spend time with that darling baby. Being a grandmother is truly a privilege. But have you ever stopped to think, Christian grandmother, about the huge responsibilities that come with this privilege?”

“I cannot trifle with the evil that killed my best Friend. I must be holy for His sake. How can I live in sin when He has died to save me from it?”–Charles Spurgeon.

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Barbara Harper

Another week has zoomed by, and I’m pausing to remember the week’s blessings with Susanne and friends at Living to Tell the Story.

1. New flowers. For some reason, most of the flowers in our hanging baskets died. We looked at one store last week to see if they had either hanging baskets or perennials to plant in them marked down–we didn’t want to pay full price when they’ll only last until the first freeze. The first store (Home Depot) didn’t have much of a selection, and only one kind was marked down. But Lowe’s had some nice hanging baskets marked down to about $6.50. It’s nice to see flowers from my back windows again.

2. Labor Day is primarily an excuse to grill burgers. 🙂 The kids came over for dinner and games.

3. A curved shower rod. I know it’s odd, but I don’t like the shower curtain liner to touch me, even if it has just been cleaned. Somehow, the air currents in the bathroom blow the liner in. Jim recently installed a curved shower rod (a birthday gift from Jason and Mittu–thanks!), and I love it.

4. A long-awaited lunch. Melanie and I usually get together every four to six weeks, but due to health issues for both of us and then my oldest son’s visit, it’s been about three months since we saw each other. We remedied that by going out to Cracker Barrel this week. None of the rumored changes have taken place at our location so far. It was so nice to catch up in person and enjoy good food. And a bonus: their rewards program gave me a free dessert for my birthday! Since it’s a few weeks past my birthday, I wasn’t sure if the offer was still good, but it was.

5. Another round of put-off phone calls has been completed.

Happy Friday!

Review: The Bitter End Birding Society

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Barbara Harper

In Amanda Cox’s newest novel, The Bitter End Birding Society, Bitter End is a small town in eastern Tennessee with a variety of legends about how it got its name.

Ana Leigh Watkins, the most recent newcomer to Bitter End, plans to spend the summer helping her great aunt Cora sort through her belongings in preparation for selling her house and moving to a retirement community. In reality, Ana needs time away to recuperate from her year of teaching kindergarten. She’s regarded as a hero for confronting a school shooter who entered her classroom. But she remembers the fear in the young man’s eyes and feels she escalated a situation that could have been resolved peacefully. She can’t forgive herself for the young man’s fate and the trauma caused to her students. The praise she receives only weighs her down further.

Ana gets adopted by a stray dog. While taking him for a walk one day, she runs into a neighbor with a group of birdwatchers who invite her to join them. She learns her aunt is bitter enemies with the head of the bird-watching group. As Ana gently investigates further, she discovers a story over sixty years old of a moonshiner’s daughter, Viola, who falls in love with a preacher’s son. The tragedies that befell them are still having repercussions.

The narrative switches back and forth between Ana’s and Viola’s points of view.

I just discovered Amanda a few years ago and have read all of her books except a novella. I’ve loved every one. The stories are well-written and the characters are easy to identify and empathize with and root for. Their situations tug on the heartstrings, but gentle humor is laced throughout as well. Grace and redemption are underlying themes.

Some of the quotes that stood out to me:

I thought I could fit everything into tidy boxes and sort right from wrong. But now I see that sometimes a saint acts like a sinner. And sometimes a sinner acts like a saint.

Those lines can seem pretty blurry sometimes. One can look just like the other from the outside. I’d say that the difference comes down to the heart. A lost sheep wants to come home but can’t for some reason. Something is getting in their way. But a prodigal is running in the opposite direction on purpose. You can’t make someone come home if they don’t want to.

It was a mystery how some trinkets and knickknacks were alive with meaning and memory while others were soulless souvenirs.

Did he know that what he needed for his pain was healing, not an anesthetic? The numbness he felt was not a cure. Anesthesia was not the sort of thing a body could live on.

Healing was an ongoing journey without a fixed destination.

Sometimes things don’t come to a tidy conclusion. Words are left unsaid. Things are left undone. But this life is not the end. . . . . Our present circumstances, our perceived failures, they are not final.

I loved that the birding society visited the Seven Islands State Birding Park, which I have been to.

I listened to the audiobook read by Rachel Botchan, who had a distracting habit of taking a breath in odd places. But otherwise, I enjoyed her narration.

The audiobook does not include the author’s notes, but Amanda has linked to a few interviews she did about this book here, and I found another one here.

What God’s Sovereignty Does Not Mean

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Barbara Harper

As Christians, we believe in God’s sovereignty, the fact that He is the Creator and supreme ruler of all. God’s rule is all over the Bible, but here are just a few verses about it:

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases (Psalm 115:3).

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” (1 Chronicles 16:31).

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all (Psalm 103:19).

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Proverbs 19:21).

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9).

I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things (Isaiah 45:5-7).

For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose (Isaiah 46:9b-10).

But then we wonder, if God is sovereignly ruling and reigning from heaven, why do such atrocities like murder and rape occur? Why do hurricanes and tornadoes and fires decimate cities and take so many lives?

The good world that God created has been broken since sin entered. “The whole creation has been groaning together, waiting for its redemption” (Romans 8:22).

Jesus died for the sins of the world, that whoever believes in Him can receive forgiveness. Someday, after Jesus returns, sin will be defeated and everything will be made right. Until then, He gives grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). He even redeems our circumstances, working all things together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28).

People have argued for centuries over what God allows vs. what He ordains and how His sovereignty and our responsibility work together. Those are subjects too big for this blog post, and there are people much more qualified than I am to write about them.

But through years of talking with other Christians and reading Christian writing, it seems to me there are some things God’s sovereignty does not mean.

God’s sovereignty does not mean:

Passivity.

When William Wilberforce was confronted with the horrors of slavery, he didn’t sit back and say, “Well, it must be God’s will.” He fought slavery his whole life. Others who joined him saw slavery as the ultimate in not loving our fellow humans as God taught us to.

When Elisha stayed with the Shunammite woman in 1 Kings 4, he wanted to make some return to her for her hospitality. When he found she was childless, he foretold that she would have a son. When the son died, he raised him up. In neither case did he say, “Well, God allowed it, so I can’t do anything about it.”

Sometimes God brings people’s needs to our attention for the very purpose that He might use us to meet them. We can’t do what Elijah did, but we can help as God enables.

Fatalism

Some years ago when a national election hadn’t gone the way most Christians preferred, I wrote a post saying all was not lost because we still had a voice in America. We could stay informed, vote our consciences, write to our officials, let our views be known on issues, etc. Someone commented that because God was sovereign, fate was sealed and nothing we did would change anything. I responded that we have several instances in the Bible of people influencing officials: Joseph, Daniel, Esther, John the Baptist. This reader kept arguing, and I finally had to ask him to stop.

God knows what is going to happen, and it’s true our actions won’t change something He has ordained. Yet it is also true that somehow, He works through our actions as He leads us.

Lack of regret.

Though David was forgiven for his sin with Bathsheba and her husband, and God used his heartbroken expression of repentance in Psalm 51 in countless lives since then, I have no doubt that he regretted his actions, especially as the consequences played out in his family. I’m sure Peter regretted denying the Lord Jesus. We all have regrets–actions and words we wish we could take back, opportunities missed, and so forth.God forgives and redeems our regrets, but we wish we would have done right in the first place.

Stoicism.

When a fellow Christian is troubled over something God has brought into his or her life or some good thing He has not given, we can get a little impatient, thinking, “You just need to accept that this is God’s will and move on.” And maybe, ultimately, acceptance of God’s will is needed. But often acceptance is not a one-time event. Sometimes we have to wrestle our desires or emotions into submission. And though God allows circumstances for a reason, He also calls us to come alongside, encourage, help others gain perspective, and help bear their burdens.

I think in situations like school shootings or major disasters, Christians can jump immediately to God’s sovereignty in their efforts to find meaning and hope. But there are times to just weep with those who weep over the effects of living in a fallen world. Yes, ultimately we find comfort in His care and purpose. But He knows this world will have its share of sorrow and calls us to comfort each other. Our ultimate comfort comes from the promise that, in His kingdom to come, there will be no more sorrow, death, crying, or pain.

Nonchalance

I’ve known some people with the attitude that it doesn’t matter what choices they make in life, because God will guide them to the right choice. God promises to lead us in the way we should go, but He tells us to seek His will, pray, be careful, walk wisely, be diligent, and so many other things. Scripture shows people praying for God’s direction: Abraham’s servant, Jehoshaphat. Even Jesus spent the night in prayer before naming His disciples.

That there is no need for prayer.

Another mystery in the Bible is why we’re to pray when God knows the need and knows what He will do about it. One reason God calls us to pray is for our fellowship and our growth and submission to His will. And though He can and does act apart from our prayers, there are things we won’t have if we don’t pray. “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2b).

That there is no need for self-examination

Some years ago, a missionary letter told of many details and preparations involved in special meetings at his church. Visitors came, but no one visibly responded. One of the Christians asked why. The missionary replied that the unsaved people who came were not elect.

I was stunned. I think the better response would have been that sometimes we plant the seed of the gospel and sometimes we water it (1 Corinthians 3:6). Maybe people didn’t respond to the gospel then, but they heard it. And maybe some did respond in their hearts even though they did not come forward at the invitation.

But it still concerned me that a lack of response was deemed God’s “fault,” with no examination about whether the Christians there could have done anything differently. Did people welcome the visitors? Were they friendly? Was the gospel explained clearly? Were there distractions like heat, cold, bugs (in open air meetings), etc.? Yes, God is the one that brings the gospel to fruition in a life, and the Holy Spirit can work in spite of hindrances. But we can also do everything in our power to have as few hindrances as possible.

When missionary Amy Carmichael was once sharing the gospel with someone, the woman seemed to be listening, until she noticed Amy’s fur gloves. Such gloves were not common in her country, and she got distracted examining them. Amy never wore the gloves again.

That we can’t make wrong decisions.

There’s an odd story in 2 Kings 13 where Elisha told the king to take his arrows and strike the ground with them.

And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times” (2 Kings 13:18-19).

The Israelites had been promised a land for their people. But when the time came to go in and take the land, most of the people balked and refused. Instead of relying on God’s promised help, they held back in fear. So God sent them into the wilderness for forty years.

When Mordecai warned Esther about Haman’s wicked scheme to kill the Jews, he asked her to go speak to the king about it. The problem was that Esther would be risking her life by going to the king uninvited. He might welcome her, but if he didn’t, he could have her killed. Mordecai responded:

Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:13-14).

Of course, in each case, God knew what people would do and what He would do in response. The Bible doesn’t teach open theism, the concept that God doesn’t know what’s going to happen or that He’s waiting to see what we’ll do before He acts. But humanly speaking, we can make wrong decisions. The Bible is replete with warnings about following God’s revealed will.

That we don’t need to plan

We trust God to take care of us, but we also seek wisdom for life decisions. God often works to take care of us through the counsel of others. In speaking of counting the cost of discipleship, Jesus said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28).

Proverbs 24:27 says “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”

I knew someone who didn’t want to schedule her time because she wanted to be open to God’s leading throughout the day. But God can work through schedules as well as through interruptions.

God’s sovereignty doesn’t negate our responsibility to seek His will and guidance and make wise choices based on His Word. We can take comfort in the fact that God knows everything going on in our lives and nothing can happen unless He allows it. If He allows it, He promises His grace and help to deal with it.