Torn in Two for Me and You

by Lisa Morrone | | 3 comments

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As Easter Sunday nears, we believers often take time to reflect on the biblical account of the Resurrection weekend. Scripture tells us of many miraculous happenings: many of the dead in Christ rose from their graves and walked about Jerusalem, the huge boulder at the mouth of the Savior’s tomb was rolled aside, Christ’s body vanished right from beneath His burial clothes, and angels appeared (Matthew 27:52-53).

Meanwhile, back at the temple, the thick curtain, which separated the Holy Place where the Levitical priests served daily, from the Most Holy Place, where only the High Priest could enter once a year, was TORN IN TWO!

Maybe I was an unusual child, but as I listened to my Sunday school teacher

Do This

by Lisa Morrone | | 6 comments

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I haven’t been inside my church since March 2020. COVID-19. Enough said.

My heart (which resides inside my extroverted body) aches deeply. I’ve missed corporate worship; I’ve missed the energy of the assembled body of Christ responding to the spirit-led teaching of my pastor; I’ve missed the before and after church conversations in the lobby—but what I’ve been especially missing was taking Communion!

Many months into our “church at home” routine I finally confessed to my husband my longing to take part in the sacrament of Holy Communion again. He replied quite matter-of-factly, “So then let’s take communion after church service tomorrow.” Sunday morning, I walked into the kitchen to find my precious hubby filling small glasses with a bit

Empowered

by Lisa Morrone | | no comments

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Many years ago, I had boarded a plane headed for home. It had been a long week and I was worn out. Even so, as made my way down the aisle to find my seat, I prayed for the Lord to give me the energy I needed should He have a divine appointment for me in the form of my seatmate.

I settled into my seat and situated my things to prepare for the flight ahead of me. As passengers patiently waited for the plane to begin taxiing for takeoff, my seatmate—a woman about my age—turned to me and began asking the typical “getting to know you” questions: Are you traveling for business or pleasure? Where do you live?

The 2021 Temple Remodel

by Lisa Morrone | | 10 comments

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The HGTV network has captivated many of us women by virtually touring us through a house that is in desperate need of repair and remodeling. And then—within the span of a one-hour program—we are left slack-jawed, marveling at beautifully re-configured and professionally decorated, “new” home!

Have you ever lived through a remodeling job on your own home? Let’s just say, one hour doesn’t get you too far along in terms of progress. Restoration is a multilayered process that, depending on the extent of the renovation, can take months, or even a year or more.

The same is true when it comes to the restoration of the Holy Spirit’s temple: the rebuilding and remodeling of our physical bodies. Here, too, there

The Fullness of Time

by Lisa Morrone | | 7 comments

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Some women enjoy the experience of being pregnant—the “glow,” the added attention, the belly pats, the pampering from others, and the unexpected kicks from the inside out. Me, not so much.

Don’t get me wrong, I did marvel at how the Lord was growing another human being inside of my body and I was truly grateful for the gift of motherhood. It’s just that my frame is quite petite. The expansion of my belly during my two pregnancies quickly overwhelmed all 5’2” of me! As my stomach grew, so did my ankles and my feet. Breathing became difficult as the months passed and my diaphragm became increasingly pressed up against my lungs. By the time the ninth month of

The Grace of Giving

by Lisa Morrone | | 5 comments

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I grew up in a family whose finances were, let’s say, “slim.” On occasion, our church congregation would unexpectedly leave a box of much needed groceries at our front door or step in and pay our mortgage in times when we fell behind.

When I was four years old, my father was involved in a near-death auto accident which totaled our family’s only vehicle. I remember the day when Mr. Mitchell, one of the beloved elders of our church, came by to visit after my dad had healed. He handed my father the keys to one of his own cars. My father was extremely reluctant to accept such a generous gift. Sensing this, Mr. Mitchell said, “Joe, do you

Savoring in the Time of Suffering

by Lisa Morrone | | 32 comments

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I don’t know a single adult who will look back on the year 2020 and not shudder!

Living through this past spring and summer has felt like I’m running a marathon that I did not sign up for. It was filled with obstacle courses of people and places to avoid, lonely trails due to isolation, and uncomfortable running gear consisting of a face mask and the occasional surgical gloves! And the race isn’t over yet.

I know you’re feeling me; ‘cuz you’re living it, too.

Each week I intentionally spend time talking on the phone with loved who are also struggling during this season of doom and gloom. Given the present climate, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness can slowly seep into

The Season of Wait

by Lisa Morrone | | 10 comments

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Be still.

Huh…Do I have to?

Honestly, I am not particularly fond of the word “still.” For a super productive ‘doer’ like myself, the word conjures up images of idleness, passiveness, and inactivity. It just plain goes against my grain!

Even when the word is used to describe the prolonged state of something (for example, “I still struggle with perfectionism”, or “He still hasn’t cleaned up this mess”, or “I am still waiting”) it continues to express a lack of progress, of forward motion, of gaining of new ground. None of these conditions put me at ease.

Yet in Today’s Truth, when the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” it’s written as a directive to you and me,

Will You?

by Lisa Morrone | | 2 comments

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Our fathers of the faith—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph—all knew about sheep. As shepherds, they knew how directionless sheep can be, how prone they are to wandering, to getting themselves stuck between a rock and a craggy place…to getting lost. Sheep need to be herded, directed, and led in order to live safe and to live well.

The same is true for you and me. I guess that’s why the Lord Jesus, when thinking of an analogy which would best describe us—from among all the animals He created—landed on sheep!

Like myself, most Believers I know want to be led by the Lord—to be in His will. The “big” question which looms large and loud in our minds is: “What is

Numbered Days

by Lisa Morrone | | 16 comments

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Last month I lost a dear, older friend to the COVID-19 virus. Albert’s days upon this earth ended unexpectedly at 84 years. All those whose lives had been enriched by this unassuming, yet remarkably influential man, were grieved.

When I first met Albert, I was a young married woman in my early 30’s, with two young children in tow. I was hungry for a father figure/mentor in Christ and a spiritual grandfather for my children. I found all this and more in Albert. A highly productive, yet not busy man, Albert served as an Elder in our church and a staunch advocate for Jesus everywhere he went—in the local church, at the parachurch organizations in which he served, and

Stolen Joys

by Lisa Morrone | | 10 comments

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The day was March 20, 2020. My daughter had been in college for eight long years, the last four having been spent in medical school. She had worked diligently, studied with tenacity, and scored well on her medical board exams. After having settled on a specialty, Emergency Medicine, she interviewed at a dozen excellent teaching hospitals. Finally, the day we were all waiting for—Match Day—was approaching. This was the day she would find out where she would match for her residency program.

A Match Day ceremony had been planned for her medical school. One hundred-seventy 4th year medical students, their relatives, friends, and significant others were to be gathered in a large auditorium for the BIG reveal—where exactly each

Dress in White

by Lisa Morrone | | no comments

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Growing up, my family was, shall we say, “fiscally challenged.” Nearly all our clothes were purchased from the local thrift stores—with two exceptions: our Easter and Christmas Day outfits. As a child I remember being so excited when those two shopping days would come. My mother, aunt, brothers and I would walk from our house to the town bus stop, deposit a few small coins into the meter when the bus arrived, and off we would ride up to the shopping center!

One Easter outfit I chose stands out above them all: a crisp white, linen-type pantsuit. I had very dark hair (styled at the time with Farrah Fawcett “wings”) and my 13-year-old-self thought I looked AMAZING in it,

Stand Your Ground

by Lisa Morrone | | no comments

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On Long Island, where I lived for most my life, I enjoyed my garden’s flowers from early February, when the snow drops raised their sleepy heads up out of the soil, through the early part of November when the last of my ivy geranium blooms would cling with tenacity to their lanky stems.

My love affair with plant material began when I was in my early 20’s. I would follow my green thumbed mother-in-law around her gardens asking questions, questions, and more questions. One of the most important tips I learned from her “schooling” had to do with the staking of plants. She taught me to be proactive with plants which had a tendency to bend to the ground

Run to the Throne, Not to Your Phone!

by Lisa Morrone | | 6 comments

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This past August my girlfriend dropped her freshman daughter off at college—a full 9-hour drive away—and returned home with all the jumbled emotions typical of a mother: excitement, longing…and trepidation.

Then the phone calls began.

“Mommy, I am lonely.” “I am eating all by myself in the dining hall.” “My classes are so far away—uphill, both ways!” “My shower drain is clogged.” “My roommate decided to move out…”

With each call home, my girlfriend’s heart twisted more and more. She tried to remain upbeat and encouraging when on the phone with her girl, but when the call ended, both her daughter and my friend were in tears, 9 hours apart.

I happen to live nearby this college and offered to meet up

What’s That Fragrance You’re Wearing?

by Lisa Morrone | | 6 comments

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My family and I spent nearly a decade of summer vacations camping with a group of four other families in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Although we enjoyed many other vacations as a family to National Parks and far away cities, if you asked my (now adult) children, they’d say camping was their favorite vacation destination.

One of the things which made our camping trips so memorable was our nighttime, community campfire huddles, complete with marshmallow roasting, storytelling, and a whole lot of laughter. I LOVE a good campfire! The cracking, popping logs, the warmth, the visual dance of the flames, and, of course, the SMELL!

If you’ve ever had a front row seat at a campfire, you’re probably already tracking

The Season of Wait

by Lisa Morrone | | 6 comments

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Be still.

Huh…Do I have to?

Honestly, I am not particularly fond of the word “still.” For a super productive ‘doer’ like myself, the word conjures up images of idleness, passiveness, and inactivity. It just plain goes against my grain!

Even when the word is used to describe the prolonged state of something (for example, “I still struggle with perfectionism”, or “He still hasn’t cleaned up this mess”, or “I am still waiting”) it continues to express a lack of progress, of forward motion, of gaining of new ground. None of these conditions put me at ease.

Yet in Today’s Truth, when the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” it’s written as a directive to you and me,

Designed to Multiply

by Lisa Morrone | | no comments

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When my children were in elementary school, they spent much of their 3rd grade year focused on the multiplication tables: from 0 x 0 = 0 all the way through to 12 x 12 = 144. To supplement their in-school learning, I bought them a set of laminated multiplication flash cards which we kept in the car. Whenever we drove anywhere, I encouraged them to take out those cards and we would work through them. Why? Because I knew if my children could master the concept and the practice of multiplication, they would prosper in their future academic endeavors. In fact, the ability to multiply is foundational to so much of life.

Our Lord created the concept of multiplication

The Season of Wait

by Lisa Morrone | | 17 comments

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Be still.

Huh…Do I have to?

Honestly, I am not particularly fond of the word “still.” For a super productive ‘doer’ like myself, the word conjures up images of idleness, passiveness, and inactivity. It just plain goes against my grain!

Even when the word is used to describe the prolonged state of something (for example, “I still struggle with perfectionism”, or “He still hasn’t cleaned up this mess”, or “I am still waiting”) it continues to express a lack of progress, of forward motion, of gaining of new ground. None of these conditions put me at ease.

Yet in Today’s Truth, when the Lord says, “Be still, and know that I am God,” it’s written as a directive to you and me,

Spectator Christianity

by Lisa Morrone | | no comments

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I was in middle school when body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger won his 7th Mr. Olympia title. His chiseled musculature was simply stunning, leaving many an onlooker slack-jawed. For many, he was a physical wonder to be marveled at; to a few, he became an inspiration to begin pumping some serious iron!

Viewing a body building competition can be entertaining, fascinating, even captivating, but you never leave the “show” stronger than when you entered, simply for having been a spectator.

Church-going for a Christian can be much like viewing a body building competition. You show up on Sunday, take your seat, and watch the worship team and your pastor “flex their spiritual muscles” by showing you the results of all the

Moving T-H-R-O-U-G-H Your Scars

by Lisa Morrone | | 8 comments

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As a physical therapist, I spend many hours each week working on the post-surgical scars of my patients. You see, scars, when left to themselves, have a tendency to become bound down and restricted. In the process of forming they can even adhere themselves to other nearby structures, such as skeletal muscles and organs. It’s my job to make sure new scars heal in a flexible manner and any existing scars are mobilized and released so they won’t continue to pull on or bind up the fluid motion of neighboring anatomical structures.

Through the course of our lives, we can have close encounters with wounded people who leave us with wounds of our own. (Hurt people, hurt people.) Add