Thoughts

Things that make me smile – I could go on, and when I do I realize that there is much to smile about in this world. So many blessings heaped on us each day. There are trials. There is hurt, but God pads it all with joy and beauty if we open our eyes to […]

When I unfurled the hose this morning, I didn’t expect a lizard to jump into my bucket, but he did. And the problem began. That lizard bounded right into some fertilizer that was in the bottom of my bucket. I didn’t know what the fertilizer would do to him, so I tried to get him […]

I almost missed the sound as I drove by the church, but the refrain just barely caught my ear. Church bells! I rolled down my window to see if I could identify the tune, but the noise of the cars kept coming, frustrating me that I couldn’t hear well enough. I wanted to listen – […]

As I walked to the mailbox this morning, I noticed a heart-shaped leaf on the ground. I walked on and found another and another. My path was strown with hearts – laid out before me like an autumn love letter. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about the love of my Father and […]

Moses was an illegal alien, an adopted child, a murderer, a man in exile who was called of God to lead a people from bondage. We are not kind to our leaders. He endured threats of violence, incessant complaining from the people, the betrayal of his siblings, and a stubborn and willful nation, but through […]

When a chapter begins with a death, you get an inkling that you may get additional bad news in that story. The twentieth chapter of Numbers begins with the death of Miriam, Moses’ and Aaron’s sister, and it goes downhill from there. The children of Israel are well into the wilderness of Zin at this […]

October has been a month of Mondays for our family. Challenge after challenge has come our way, and while we continue to rejoice in God’s blessings, we are a little weary of chasing down the balls lobbed our way. The type of challenge doesn’t matter. Trials are a common language in the human experience, and […]

I picked the last of my zinnias today. These past days of hot, dry weather have not been kind to them, and they are done. They have lived a good life. As I bartered with the butterflies for the final few blooms, I thought about how even though they are looking ragged, they are still […]

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15) The weed was small, and I let it grow. I thought the tiny […]

Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise Him in the heights. Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven. – Psalm 148:1, 13 Throughout scripture we are commanded, yes, commanded to praise the Lord. We are […]

On this beautiful Mother’s Day, as I enjoyed the many Mother’s Day greetings of friends and the lovely photos of mothers and daughters at Mother’s Day teas and outings, my mind went back to an old children’s book first published on January 1, 1922. The Velveteen Rabbit, written by Margery Williams and illustrated by Charles […]

This has been a bountiful week. I could say it has been a busy week and bemoan the many tasks yet to be completed, but I am choosing to focus on its bounty: that God has brought into my life. Have there been challenges? You bet. But those challenges have been wrapped up in the […]

Once again, I found myself in Psalm 103 this morning, and once again I found myself rejoicing in the benefits provided by our Father. The benefit package he gives far surpasses any I have ever been offered by the world, and it bears reviewing on a regular basis. Check it out. Read that list again, […]

If you have ever been around young children, you have experienced whining. It goes with the territory. Some of them are such experts that the timbre of their voices can make your skin crawl like chalk squeaking on a chalkboard. Most children aren’t born being thankful. It is something they learn, and the opposite of […]

Some days the sun doesn’t seem to shine,and my heart struggles with the darkness.I don’t feel loved.I don’t feel right.I don’t feel like serving.I don’t feel saved or kept or redeemed.These are the fertile days of faith –days when all I can do is take the next step,do the next thing,not because it feels rightbut […]

God’s grace. Undeserved and freely given. It is the soul cry of every believer and a central theme in scripture. From God’s covering of Adam and Eve with animal skin in the Garden of Eden to the preservation of the nation of Israel, one can trace His grace in His dealings with mankind. We can […]

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God (Psalm 20:7,KJV ). We are used to solving our own problems. We know who to call and what to do. Our contact list is complete, and we will readily share it with those in need. Give […]

As I began another journey through the book of Psalms this morning I found guidance for my new year. Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,Nor stands in the path of sinners,Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,And in His law he meditates day and night.3 He shall be […]

I won’t be sad to say goodbye to this year. Some years are fraught with challenges, and this has been one of them. Family illness, crises, the passing of dear friends and family, life changes, just losses in general. How many times can your adrenaline spike in one year without causing a major crash? I […]

Christmas – The story is simple. We honor and immortalize it through cantatas and majestic music. We light it and decorate it and look for new ways to celebrate it. We change the words and make speculations about the characters in the timeless drama as if we are concerned that the simplicity of the story […]