One of the ways that I enjoy showing love is to give gifts. Not expensive gifts, but simple, thought out gifts that say to the person, “I love you” or “I am thinking of you.” My eleven grandchildren flock to me for that one piece of gum or the tic tac that Nana always has waiting…
Seriously. I don’t hate laundry. It’s not that it is a difficult job–for me, at least. An automatic washer and dryer, though dated, does the work for me and all I really have to do is fold or hang them when they’re dry. So why does it seem like a chore? Truth is, any mundane…
I have always had a strange fascination with doors. Especially the colorful ones. The unique ones. Doorways can represent an opportunity to enter the life of someone you love and cherish–or a threshold to something new and different. In our travels to Israel I was drawn to the colors and the variety of doors in…
When singer/songwriter Keith Green, along with his 3 year-old son Josiah and two year-old daughter Bethany were killed in a plane crash in July of 1982, it rocked my world. I was a fan. My husband was a fan. We had only been married for six months and Keith’s song, “Make My Life A Prayer…
Drowning in the sea of “What if?”. It fills our minds and our hearts and it consumes us. Controls us. Chains us and pulls us down and drowns us. In fear. In worry. And an overwhelming sense of helplessness. UNTIL.
Why is it that I cannot see the girl in the mirror as clearly as I should? If only there were a mirror on my heart. The invisible would become visible. “Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Change can be hard. Six years ago today changed our lives in a way that we would not have chosen. When my father-in-law passed away we knew that the family dynamic would never be the same. It was May of that year that I began to sense that it was time to do that thing…
When our kids were little one of our favorite family games was hide-and-seek. Even when they were too small (or too timid) to hide for themselves, we would team up and have a competition to see who could hide in the best place. Summertime lent itself to hiding outside–sometimes with walkie-talkies so we could taunt…
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter…
I know. Flowers wilt. And yes, flowers fade. But… The delight that the beauty of a flower brings for a season or even for the moment is priceless. My mother and I share a love for anything blooming. Since her stroke, there have been hard days, but there have been good days. The good days…
Some days it is only a flicker. But even the smallest light will shine in the darkness. Being human means that I don’t always feel like living up to the world’s definition of “Shine”, but God’s definition is a very different one: At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He…
You have a gauge that tells you it’s time to fill up, and you know the consequences that follow if you ignore that little warning… Stop. Do not pass “go”, DO NOT chance it. Do not do another thing until you put some gas in that tank. The simple task of refueling changes everything, and…
On an ordinary day I might be running in to pick up a few groceries, rushing to check things off my list, barely noticing those around me. But she found me. I don’t know if I looked kind (I certainly hope so) or non-threatening, but when I turned to the timid, “Excuse me, ma’am” I…
The adoption process is a whirlwind of emotions. Allowing your heart to be vulnerable to the ups and downs of this journey takes more than just sacrifice– it takes stamina. Holding on to hope for what is best for a child takes willpower and true grit. Stubbornly fighting for the rights of a child demands…
The string of lights are removed. The tree comes down and just.like.that. Christmas is over. Only it’s not.
