I didn’t get married in June. The sky threatened snow and the lace I wore on my long-sleeved wedding dress failed to block out the cold of an early January day. Looking back, there were a few things I would have done differently. With limited resources it wasn’t possible, but had I been able to…
I will never get used to it. I refuse to call it the “new normal.” Because it’s not. It’s not normal to avoid people or to cover your smile. While I have to accept it, I still struggle. This is a battle that I wrestle with in my mind–the “what ifs” and the “how longs”. …
I woke up this morning with a headache. My brain is on overload from all that is happening out there in the world and in my own family. My faithful pup beside me, I started my prayer time and thought about the gift that this little companion is… “I wonder if dogs get headaches too?”…
A fascinating part of humanity’s very existence is the presence of gravity. Gravity is defined as the fundamental force that pulls us toward the center of the earth; technically, it is what keeps us grounded. In conversation, the use of the word denotes a seriousness or even heaviness of a situation. While gravity is…
Until just recently, the only books written on a pandemic were history books and science fiction novels–neither of which seemed to include “HOW TO SURVIVE” instructions for future generations to follow. It seems to me that there are often two choices involved when we are faced with a situation that we know little to nothing…
Expecting my first baby, I was suddenly put on bed rest to prevent premature labor. I was only 28 weeks along and was not even allowed to sit up, rising only to go to the restroom (because I refused to use a bedpan!). The goal was to get me to at least 32 weeks– and…
Waiting is often seen as a unwelcome necessity. Time spent in line, in traffic, or in a doctor’s office is viewed as empty moments that are wasted. The allotted time acceptable for a wait is often preconceived and determined only by our own expectations. Though the clock ticks at the same pace 24 hours a…
I’m not very good at waiting. Especially when I am in not in control of the wait. One of life’s necessities, waiting will sometimes take us down a hard road that affects us emotionally. Fear, frustration, anger, or anxiety can become our new normal, and despite our best efforts we struggle to see the good.…
“What next?” I don’t often start my mornings with such questions on my mind. I often am startled awake before dawn and make a beeline for a programmed coffee pot stirring my senses with steaming hot goodness. My day starts with coffee and prayer. I have a typical spot to settle as I seek the…
A dying art, the handwritten letter is slowly but surely being replaced by emails and texts. I confess, I just am as guilty of letting this age-old practice diminish in my own life; and yet, reading Paul’s letter to his young charge Timothy in my Bible, I am inspired to write a few of my…
Sometimes saying “yes” to God is the most difficult step we take in obedience. Other times it comes easily, and our response is followed by a joy-filled freedom to step out in faith. What do we do when saying yes is a struggle? “No, Lord” is not an option–it’s a contradiction; and yet, if we…
“All a man’s ways seem right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the motives.” Proverbs 16:2 We plan. We prepare. We shoot our visionary arrows into the future and pray they land at least somewhere near the intended target. But God. He sees. He knows where we have been and where we are…
“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 “…today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. …
More than beautiful presents wrapped in paper and bows, the gift of Christmas begins with a baby in a manger, swaddled in cloth and sleeping in a manger bed. The gift of Christmas came. Heralded by angels, He entered the world He created, in a stall built for animals; all of creation crying, “Hail the…
My father turned 82 today. Two years ago we found out that he was in Stage 4 kidney failure, and he quickly progressed to end-stage, requiring dialysis to survive. While the damage done to his body cannot be reversed, being hooked up to a machine to rid his body of the toxins has prolonged his…
