In 2011, a local policeman was killed in the line of duty. It was a sad time in our community and continues to be for those who knew and loved him. The loss gave a dying man a second chance at life and the story was a wake-up call for me. The Heart of the…
I’ll Never Get Over It
“I’ll Never Get Over It”. You’ve heard someone say it. Maybe you’ve even said it. To “Get Over it” usually means: to move beyond a past event in such a way that it does not define or control the present. Get Over It Missed opportunity? I’ve gotten over it. Loss of a relationship? Gotten over…
Book of Words
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth Occasionally my kids will remind me of something I did or said in the past. Sometimes it’s painful to hear what they recall. Is that all they remember about me? What will they remember when they are grown and gone? As a mom my…
ABANDONED: HOW I’M LEARNING TO BE A CHILD OF GOD
She abandoned her whole self to the Lord, with all that she was and all that she had, and, believing that He took that which she had committed to Him, she ceased to fret and worry, and her life became all sunshine in the gladness of belonging to Him. A Very Simple Secret It is…
Measuring Coffee, Sin, and Tomatoes
Yesterday I made Iced Mocha Frappes. Around here they are affectionately know as Mocha Frappe Dingos—Eric’s descriptive name of a froufrou coffee drink. However, he really likes this one, especially on a hot afternoon. Today I read this post, Irrevocable, by Sibi at Pearls and Grace. I think you should read it, too. I love…
THE JOY OF LEARNING TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT
Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy. But this requires a profound inner shift in our reality. Many of us unconsciously create dramas in our minds, expecting the worst from a situation only to have our expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Inadvertently, we become authors of our own…
HOW MAKING A T-SHIRT QUILT STRENGTHENED MY FAITH
I finally finished my first t-shirt quilt. The directions that a friend gave me have been in my “to do” file for several years I think. Included in the directions she sent a photo of one of the quilts she had made for her son. I really wanted to make one. But I waited. From…
THE HARD LESSON I LEARNED ABOUT IMAGE MAINTENANCE
In 2012 my dermatologist confirmed that there were three places on my nose that were pre-cancerous and in need of treatment. I chose the new three-day treatment that would result in about 2 weeks of redness, burning, and peeling. It was awful! I don’t think I could’ve endured more than three days of the treatment! …
A Reminder to Listen to the Still, Small Voice
It was a Monday morning trip to the store for 1 thing—biscuit mix. That’s all. Just a biscuit mix. But as soon as I walked through the doors of the grocery store, I heard the still, small voice speak: get flowers for her. I got the biscuit mix but remembered that I had no vase…
The Right Road
“And I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road…” Genesis 24:48a These were the words of Abraham’s servant spoken to Rebekah’s family as he recounted the faithfulness of God in guiding him to find a wife for Isaac.…
Bloom Where You’re Planted Even in Adversity
She holds birds’ nests, spiders’ webs, and dew drops. She’s been moved, pruned, burned, and picked on. She’s been too hot, too cold, and wind blown. She’s grown up and grown old. Still she blooms. Adversity is hard At times it is difficult to stand tall, much less bloom. Withering and dying seem easier. What,…
4 Ways to Pray—>How to Talk and Listen to God
And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears” (I Samuel 3:10) I read these words and realize that all too often I go to God and say, “Lord, listen. I have something to say”. I always have something to say. I need…
The Good Thing That Will Never End
Looking back through some of my writing from 2012 I found these words. I needed them again today. Maybe you need them, too. A week ago at this time, I was strolling through the streets of New Orleans with Eric chatting about where we wanted to have lunch. I was keenly aware that the trip…