Suppose I decided to go bowling with a friend who wanted to play the game without the gutter guards. If you knew how bad of a bowler I am, you’d know I’d start sweating! Do you know the first thing that would start going through my mind?
Other Holiness
One of my seminary professors once described holiness simply as “other,” meaning that if you took the sum total of all your past experiences and drew a circle around them… Holiness would be in an entirely separate circle.
Waves of Joy
I’ve had migraines for as long as I can remember. My mom and I have a running joke that “it’s not really a migraine until your brain’s having a baby!” But that is more or less what it feels like… As if my brain, for no apparent reason, has suddenly taken it upon itself to give birth from inside my skull. I’m sure some of you beautiful, courageous ladies know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!
Here Comes the Bridegroom!
“I like it when it storms because we get to eat ice cream!” a neighbor child told my daughter. That is a little odd, I thought at the time.
Squirreled Away
While driving home from out of town, I received a text from my husband that said, “There’s a squirrel in a shoebox on the counter. If it’s dead when you get home, throw it into the woods.”
Fight the Good Fight
Down I fell, flat on my face! I was running downhill with my dog when suddenly she darted ahead. I hung onto the leash trying to slow her down. Instead, her momentum pulled me down until I was face down in the dirt.
Follow the Leader
I pulled into the rest area and looked around. The people I observed were as varied as the vehicles. Where were they all going? The adventurist in me began to imagine several possible scenarios.
What is that Smell?
“What is that smell?” my husband asked as we entered the resort where we were vacationing. “Whatever it is, I want it!” he exclaimed.
Prepare the Way – Christmas Traditions
I have to say I have already had a favorite Christmas memory for this year even though days away from the actual holiday. One would not think a seven-year-old boy would pay much attention to anything except presents at Christmas time, but sometimes little boys surprise you.
Prepare the Way – No Excuses
As we waited in our spot by the curb for the annual Christmas parade, our two-and-a-half-year-old grandson grew impatient. I tried to tell him about all of the cool lights and sights the parade promised, but to no avail. I could not believe it when he came up with an excuse for why he would not enjoy the event.
Prepare the Way – Christmas Pie
For some reason, at Christmas time we feel the need to prepare all sorts of decadent sweet treats. Homemade cookies, candy, cakes, and pies adorn kitchen cabinets and tables, many even used as gifts for friends and neighbors.
Prepare the Way – The Glory
Oh, how I love decorating for the Christmas season. It just fills my heart with joy. I have some cute Santas, but I really look forward to putting out my collection of nativities. Each different, they all depict baby Jesus in a manger, Mary and Joseph on each side. Some even include various animals.
Game 7, A Little Like Heaven
I never in my wildest dreams thought we would be able to go to a Game 7. For those of you not familiar with sports, teams play Game 7 in the play offs with everything on the line. It is the last game of the series. In our case, the sport, baseball, included two Texas teams with the prize game located right in our city. We really wanted to go.
A Meditation on Pots
Poking through sale merchandise always brings me close in spirit to my mother, one of the great shoppers of her generation. How many times would some bargain, upon closer examination, reveal a spot or chip?
Patiently
Imagine along with me for a minute…
It is autumn in the spiritual fruit orchard. As you walk down the rows of trees, you notice something interesting. The harvest has been completed and the branches are bare, except for the fruit that remains on one kind the tree. You ask your companion what it is and he answers,
Something of Eden
When the Lord spoke those words to Adam, He was not noting a shortcoming or fixing a problem. He was announcing the next step in His Creation. Remember, Adam hadn’t expressed loneliness. It was God who determined there was a need because it was God who had created the need.
Just So Glad to be Here
It was the day of the closing on our home and everything had moved along like clockwork. Soon the papers would be signed and we would be on to the next phase of our re-location scenario. When I awoke that morning, I was extremely tired, but why shouldn’t I be? I had spent weeks emptying cupboards and packing boxes.
Recall, Reminisce, Rejoice
It was 1998 and the caller on the other end of the line was Linda Lesniewski. The purpose of her call was to ask if I would be interested in auditioning for a new devotional for women, called encouraging.com.
Aging With Gratitude: Because of God’s Purpose and Grace
God’s purpose or ours. Which do we most want?
Christ rescued us and invited us to live set apart for His sake—not because of anything we could do for Him. He accomplished this because of what He set forth before us by His matchless favor. This is true at all stages of life.
Aging With Gratitude: God Perfects My Way
Walking is one of my favorite activities, but. . . one misstep years ago and I fell straight down into the dark, dirt basement. I was thirteen and foolishly walked onto thin sheet metal—placed to prevent accidents—that covered the opening for our future brick fireplace. Fortunately, one deep gash on my shin was the only injury I suffered.