Once upon a time. We all love those words. Those words promise a love story and we all long for romance. Truth be told, I yearn to live a Cinderella story. I secretly hope someone will come and whisk me away from the ashes…
-
-
Three Steps To Take When Life Punches You In The Gut
What do you do when life punches you in the gut? When circumstances deliver a devastating blow? 2014 was a joyous year for us. Our son got married to a wonderful young woman. Our daughter and her family flew from China to join in the…
-
Top 10 Ways to Get Your Mouth in Trouble
My mouth often gets me in trouble. I speak before I think things through. I say something without considering the other person’s point of view. I open my mouth before engaging my brain. Here are my Top Ten Ways to get my mouth in trouble:…
-
For When You Feel Ordinary
I took a step back and looked at the bride. She was radiant in her white gown. A smile lit up her face when she saw her reflection in the mirrors all around the room. Her beauty was obvious. During my college years I worked…
-
3 Steps To Take When You’ve Been Punched Out With Words
My ears burned. My heart hurt. I had just received a thirty-minute toungue-lashing over the phone. I wanted to ignore the person on the other end. I wanted to hang up. But deep inside I felt God wanted me to not turn away. He didn’t…
-
The Gift of His Presence
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son,and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:23 This is the wonder of Christmas: God is with us! It’s the wonder of every Christmas, but this year I…
-
How to Live with a Holy Longing
A holy longing. I love that phrase. There are a lot of things I long for: my family nearby, time with friends, a little more success, a new handbag, dark chocolate that has no calories. The list could go on and on. I tend to…
-
How to Practice the Art of Listening
For years my son picked up his grandmother Shirley from her senior apartment and brought her to church. Now Nathaniel is one of those strong, silent types and typically not too talkative before noon. One Sunday morning Shirley entered the church vestibule complaining that Nathaniel…
-
Entertaining Strangers
We may balk at entertaining, but Christ calls on us to practice hospitality. When I was in high school, a Christian group called Joy, Inc. came to sing at our church. Our family agreed to house a couple of group members for the night. And…