When you read the title, you may have thought, “What does she mean, my “real life”? How can I live anything but this one real life? Well, the title is inspired by the words of Colossians 3:1-3. This passage begins: “You have been raised to…
Spiritual Growth
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When You Can’t Do It By Yourself
Every week people pass through my living room and take a turn sitting at my grand piano. I give them my undivided attention for thirty to sixty minutes while they play music by Mozart and Beethoven and Gershwin. I help them make sense of fingering…
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When Your Part Seems Small: Playing in the Symphony of Life
Every so often I persuade my husband to attend a concert of classical music with me A while ago we traveled into the city to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As soon as we found our seats, I knew something special was going to happen.…
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What to Do When Life Disappoints
What do we do when life disappoints? Our natural reaction is to complain and grumble. We tell our sad story to anyone who will listen. This is what I tend to do. Especially about the fact that my grandchildren live far away. I make sure…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The One Way to Truly Manage Stress
How do you manage stress? Picture these modern stress management scenarios. A young woman rushes into Starbucks, brows knitted, fists clenched tight and orders a Venti Mocha Latte, “Double espresso please.” A child chews on the eraser end of her pencil as she bends over…