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…
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…
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…
I don’t like the spotlight. I have always been a wallflower and would rather be in the background than center-stage. Being a pastor’s wife doesn’t always accommodate my insecurities, so learning to accept being uncomfortable has been a journey that started long ago… I can still remember squirming in my seat as a young girl…
If I could earn my way to heaven– if I could work hard to be the best version of me, it would never be enough. I could try to be a loving person who sacrifices and denies myself for the greater good, and while I might feel self-righteous, my holiness would be like filthy rags.…
It’s true, I’ve never seen myself as someone creative. I have a craft closet full of supplies, but I always feel like an imposter. A mimic. I can copy an idea or re-create someone else’s DIY, but I have never really see myself as a true artist. Until I started writing. Blogging is my creative…
It was just a bowl of soup. And a day with my grandson. Coming home at the end of the day, my drive time became a time of reflection and wonder at how blessed I really am. Not in the world’s sense, maybe, but in this girl’s heart I had just had the most beautiful…
Despite the not-so-uncommon view that the hope of this world is found in politics or prosperity or possessions, one brush with eternity, and your perspective can change in a heartbeat. Hope has a name: His name is Jesus. When our youngest was in junior high, he started complaining about pain in the side of his…
Disclaimer: I am not a parenting expert. (Can anyone really claim that title?) My four children are now grown and I get to enjoy eleven grandbabies. I love my family–from the littlest to the oldest, and I am grateful for every single one of them, and to be clear, we are not a perfect family.…
