No, there are not a dozen drummers in my living room, nor is there a Shakespearean fantasy opening on my back porch tonight! (Just in case you were wondering.) There is however, a tradition that the Wise Men visited the Child on this day years ago. (The Magi’s gifts gave Read more
My father loved ducks. We never knew why; he just did. He loved the cut-sew-and-stuff mallard one of us made him for Christmas. He loved the print of a duck painting that hung in his office. We had a duck doorstop. After my dad’s death, my mom gave me the little Read more
It’s been a challenging couple of months, and irritability has become a noticeable trait in me, enough that my easy-going husband pointed it out. He probed a bit about what might need to be done to deal with it, not so much looking to fix the symptoms, but seeking what Read more
This morning did not begin well. I had gone to sleep last night nursing an emotional wound, not seeking healing or comfort for it, just deciding to hold on to it. I went so far as to plan how I would coldly respond if my offender approached me in a Read more
Reading in Jeremiah, it can seem like God’s responses to Jerusalem and Judah are harsh and punitive; the truth is that God has faithfully kept all his promises and covenant commitments to them for centuries, lavishing on them gifts and blessings, and His whole-hearted devotion. The response of almost the Read more
Last week’s post was certainly not about an everyday event, but the God who was active in such an event is still active in my everyday life, offering me choices about how I will live… When astronomers are exploring the surface of other planets, they are all interested in one Read more
Due to my recent knee replacement surgery, I must change position often and take many short walks. Sunday morning, my first time playing and singing for worship in five weeks, I got up during the sermon to pace the back of the worship center. A dear brother in the Lord Read more
Word choice is an important aspect of speaking and writing. If I say, “walk,” it might make any number of pictures in your mind. But, what happens when I use a word like “stroll” or “stride?” How about “amble” or “strut?” “Pace” or “march?” All have the idea of covering Read more
Is it hard to say, “I love you” to the One who loves you most? For me, it is. I felt prompted recently to take up a more disciplined approach to prayer, primarily for the sake of the many I have in my heart to care for. Discipline requires structure. Read more
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. How I treat other humans is a function of how I view other humans. If I respond to them as annoyances or as servants, co-laborers or competitors, or whether I regard them at all is because of how I see them. The important truth that I must understand is Read more