“Why does someone so good and nice suffer a painful death and die young, when others do bad things and live long?”
Facets of Hope
The Hope Diamond weighs 45.52 carats and is one of the most famous jewels in the world. Its recorded history goes back to the 17th century in France. The gem was cut into smaller pieces multiple times, so its appearance has changed. The French, deep blue diamond was stolen in 1792 and has exchanged ownership several times. As of 2019, gemologists have valued it at about 350 million dollars. It’s currently housed in the National Gem and Mineral collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Even so, there are no guarantees of perfectly guarding it from theft.
Choose Life
The older I get, I focus more on my family’s lives and less on my own. Opting for life-giving choices benefits me as well as others. I am motivated to eat healthier so I will be around for my children and, hopefully one day, for any grandchildren that may come along. I haven’t adopted a challenging exercise regime although I still retain that hope!
Dig Deep
Oh, the importance of a good foundation! Numerous foundation cases were filed in Corpus Christi because of the shifting sand and soil of that area. As an attorney in Corpus, my husband heard some interesting facts in these cases.
Believing is Seeing
Thunder shook the air as lightning lit the sky. The windshield wipers feverishly cleared the window but only for a second. Pounding rain obstructed my view. The lane lines were no longer visible so I followed the taillights of the preceding car.
Illuminate Me
My mother complained for a couple of days of eye pain. I looked at her eye but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Because my mother has macular degeneration, I didn’t want to take her eye pain lightly. If her retina was bleeding, urgent action was necessary.
Blessed Interruptions
A deadline was quickly approaching, so I set aside today to complete the task. A couple of more pressing circumstances intervened taking center stage. My muscles tightened and my countenance fell as my stress level rose. How am I going to finish now? I wondered.
Pruning for Purity
All summer long, my backyard rose bush produces hundreds of pink roses. I notice that it blooms and then most of the roses die about the same time. With my garden shears, I cut away the spent blooms. I imagine it sighing and saying, Thank you. Now I have room to grow and bloom all over again.
Painful Plowing
Trials are hard. They’re messy. They’re down right painful. Do you feel blessed when you experience them?
Refined as Gold
Do you know how precious metals are refined? Smelting is the process in which gold is separated from ore and other metals. The ore is first pulverized with extreme pressure to create tiny particles, which are then melted at almost 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. As the gold becomes molten, most of the impurities are burned up.
Trials Like Fire
No matter how you slice it, life is full of challenges. Each hardship represents some sort of loss; loss of a person, home, safety, stability, or purpose. This is why these experiences can be so painful.
Rescuer of Pit Dwellers
Praise the Lord! He rescues us from the pit! I don’t know about you, but I have been in the pit many times throughout my life. Sometimes it’s sin that throws us into the pit, however, sometimes it is circumstances out of our control that throw us head-long into it. spit
Meaningful Work
Contrary to what some might think: work is not a curse.
When A Baby Tooth Hangs On
My teenaged son lost his last baby tooth today — about two years past the typical time kids do.
Tapestry of Friends
I got an unexpected email this weekend from the first babysitter who ever kept my boys.
What I Learned from Dry Eyes
For the past two fall seasons, I’ve experienced severely dry eyes. Raw, irritated and red. Most of the time I just want to close them.
What Do I See?
As I sat in Sunday School, I heard my husband read this scripture. The words jumped out. I was guilty even as he spoke the words. And I’m one of the teachers.
Just Do It
“Just Do It” is a phrase Nike coined in 1988. It’s a slogan to inspire athletes to out run, out train, and out move. The apostle James used similar words to inspire Christians hundreds of years earlier.
The Bear That Came to Town
Last fall my husband and I spent a week in Avon, Colorado. One day while we were in a restaurant, we saw a crowd gathering outside around a crabapple tree. They were pointing toward the top of the tree and snapping pictures.
Leap of Faith
I grew up in Miami, Florida in the 1950s and have some great memories of that time. Life was simple, safe, and carefree. I moved away from my hometown after college, but one of my friends stayed on and became a federal judge there.