I love to read. When I open the cover of a new book, I am filled with a sense of awe–like I am setting out on a new adventure. Turning the page of a book is like opening the door to something yet undiscovered. And then life happens. At some point you have stop, put…
We all have them. Those little things that drive us crazy. They flip our switch and spark a fire. The question is, if we want a happy marriage, how do we respond to those little idiosyncrasies that get under our skin? “If you let them, idiosyncrasies can take the joy out of marriage. Those peculiarities…
When I was young I hated peas. You can ask my Mom and she will tell you that she still remembers me shuffling peas around my plate for what seemed like an hour, trying to make it look like I had actually eaten some of the green balls of goo. While it never bothered me if…
It’s not complicated, really. These three things that seem to have so little in common bring back a flood of memories. Memories can take us back to places we sometimes need to revisit. Maybe it was a time that you learned a lesson the hard way, or maybe it was just an epiphany moment that…
It’s not that I don’t love a beautiful table. I do. Really I do. I have white dishes just so I can create a table setting for any season just by adding colorful napkins and a centerpiece. (I’m practical that way.) It is a joy for me to put together the pieces, adding a touch…
There is always that one thing. You know–that one more thing you needed to do. One more thing you wanted to say. Until you can’t. When it’s too late to turn back, or the moment is lost in oblivion, you have to face the reality that life must go on, and that only God can…
Cheerful. Kind. I know people like that, don’t you? People you just love to be around. People who make you smile and laugh. People you are glad you met. I met a beautiful couple like that just this week and their spirit reminded me of what I want my life to look like. They were not…
Another blog on prayer, you say? Truth is, it is an area that I continue to grow in. While I crave the written word, and have learned to converse easily with God, there are times when, if I’m honest, I struggle to know what to say. I know that prayer is a responsibility and a…
Yep. I’m a list maker. There’s just something about crossing something off a list that inspires me to do whatever it takes to completely eradicate whatever it is that’s ON that list! It’s kind of a love/hate relationship, isn’t it? 1. We love making a list. 2. We hate that the list is so long. 3. We love…
That song. You know–the one you can’t get it out of your head–and yet, you don’t really want to. “You’re a Good, Good Father, it’s Who You are…” “…And I’m loved by You, it’s who I am.” [Chris Tomlin] Being a parent is the hardest, most rewarding job on the planet, and the reality is–…
The problem with falling down is not just the initial shock or the pain of blunt force trauma to your backside, but the consternation and wounding of your pride as others look on. Worse than that is when the fall is not physical at all, but a spiritual, emotional or moral tumble that leaves you…
Every day you wake up thinking, “maybe today will be the day someone finds her.” Our story is a common one, unfortunately. Looking for a lost dog, we have heard all kinds of stories about beloved pets who decided to journey into the unknown. So I pray. Of course I pray. The creator of the…
It was a small thing, really, but when I swerved my car to avoid hitting it, somehow the image of that upside-down turtle wouldn’t go away. “Turn around.” It wasn’t a big booming voice, but a quiet whisper of reason. My reasons for not turning around went something like this: “You’ll be late–again.” “There’s no…
Sometimes it is of our own doing. Sometimes it comes because of the hard circumstances of life. That familiar, not so friendly state of feeling frustrated. Desperate. Lonely. Tired. Tired of where we are but not sure how to turn the corner and move past this place that seems, well, muddied. Like the familiar story…
Oh yes you did. You rolled your eyes. And covered your face. And eagerly walked away from the one who carried you for nine months– and has carried you ever since. The hugs you once demanded are becoming rare, now that you think you’re “too old” for Mom’s affection. But time is slipping away, and…
