Spiritual Growth

I have three grandsons. They are all born to the same parents and they all live in the same household. Yet they each have a distinct personality. One of the ways they differ is in their “cuddle factor.” One grandson prefers to be loved from…

Abiding in Christ. Every year I choose one word to focus on. One word to guide the next twelve months. At the beginning of 2017, I chose “abide.” I hoped that studying and meditating on that word would help me understand it better. I kept asking,…

I love resale shops. Some of my favorite clothes are from thrift-shops and resale boutiques. Often I find exactly the right color and fit in one of these stores, even when a hunt in typical retail shops turns up nothing. However, resale shopping requires a…

Brenda and I met in the lounge of a transitional home for women where she and thirty other women were working to rebuild their shattered lives. Amongst mismatched sofas and coffee tables that had seen better days, I helped this sixty-two-year-old woman prepare for her…

When my children were very young we lived in the parsonage next to the church. I taught piano lessons in the afternoon and took my kids to a neighborhood babysitter before my students came. One day I was running a little late. I picked up…

I’ve got joy like a fountain I’ve got joy like a fountain I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul. The preschoolers in my music class love to sing this song. And when they do, I have no doubt that they have joy. But…

It was a gloomy, dreary Friday.   The doorbell rang and a crew of carpet layers entered. Soon my house was in a state of chaos. The noise of old carpet being scraped off and new carpet being nailed down filled the air. Every room was…

Easter is almost here. But before we get to the joyful celebration of Resurrection Sunday, we need to go through the darkness of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. One of my favorite passages in the Bible tells us what Jesus talked about to His disciples…