. . . and the bradford pear blossom survivedthe bitter winter storm to bloommore beautifullythan she thought possible. . . . “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not … Continue reading →
One morning, when the sun spilled through the front windows of my grandmother’s house – something happened between the drinking of hot cocoa at her kitchen table and my sockless feet pushing off the porch floor propelling me high and low on my grandmother’s swing. My “Can-I-stay-here-forever” wish which every child asks when it’s time to leave their grandparent’s house … Continue reading →
I’m reading the chronological bible in a year – backwards, starting with Revelation. I was intrigued by the organization to the letters to the Churches. Each letter starts out with Jesus identifying himself, followed by the deeds Jesus knows about each church, then constructive criticism with recommendations and solutions, and completed with outcomes of behavior choices. I’ve been savoring the … Continue reading →
(I’ve been waiting to see what class God has enrolled me in this year. Last year was the Year of Redeeming Prayer class, the year before, The Year of Selfless Prayer. I’ve had The Year of Standing, the Year of Jubilee, The Year of Walking, The Year of Living Shalom. . . . I am always amazed how God teaches … Continue reading →
“You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.” ~ Luke 12:2, The Message Masks are for hiding, deceiving, concealing, and protecting. They hide shame, hurt and wrongs – the wrongs we have done … Continue reading →
Loving people and being yourself go hand-in-hand. It took me a long time to unpack what others thought of me – or maybe it was my perception of what they thought of me. I needed to catalog the traits, interests, and dreams that were mine, separating others’ traits, interests and dreams for my life. Next, I needed to study what … Continue reading →
Do you remember your First Love? The first person you thought you couldn’t live without – that’s how big your love was! In the Fall, my sweet daughter-in-law was tucking her son, my grandson into my car. As she walked away, my grandson sighed, watching his mama walk away, saying, “There goes my beautiful girl.” My heart melted. . . … Continue reading →
(We’ve had what felt like a good, old-fashioned cold around here – twice since the holidays began. I’d like to say we’ve been hibernating in our recovery – but that just sounds to cozy and deep-sleepish, but, really, it felt like an out-of-sorts lethargy and inability to think well and a “where-did-my-brain-go” time. We are recovered, have found our brains, … Continue reading →
A Big Snow fell on our little coming-up-the-mountain town last week. For once, the storm came during the day. Our community is tired of the storms coming during the night. The snow started falling about 9 a.m. An hour later, our roads were covered. By the afternoon, you couldn’t tell where a road was in our little neighborhood. The wind … Continue reading →
