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Hope-givers
Hope is in short supply these days. So much bad news, it’s easy to just check out. People hurt each other in profound ways and the trauma that follows, pursues them throughout their lives. Patients tell me horrific stories that are difficult to hear. Where is the hope in this? My husband, Tim, is taking…
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Once a Mom, Always a Mom
When my children were little, I would think, “Once they turn 18 and leave home, the challenges will end.” But nothing could be further from the truth. The challenges of being a mom just change as the children grow. They don’t go away. I have so many memories of crazy things that happened when my…
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Taking Thoughts Captive
I awoke at 3:30 am this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. It’s so frustrating when this happens since I typically get up for work at 5 am anyway. Breathing was difficult out of my nose with my allergies and I felt a little like I was suffocating. In a strange dream, I was…
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Stand Firm and Be Still
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today…The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14 It has been said that “Do Not Be Afraid” or “Fear Not” is stated in the Bible 365 times, one for each day…
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Saving Moses
I’m reading the Book of Exodus about the birth of Moses and I am amazed by the resourcefulness of several women in this story. Their actions literally enable Moses to survive Pharaoh’s edict to exterminate all the Hebrew baby boys. It is surprising that they are actually mentioned by name since women in ancient times…
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Therefore, How Then Should We Live?
My home is a small oasis of respite. I love it here. It’s full of old-fashioned things: old books, antique dishes and angels. There are angels in every room looking down on all who occupy this space. They are symbolic of God’s providence. His grace and care surround me everyday. My gardens are bountiful…
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Finding Sabbath
A gold finch and a hummingbird are both feeding outside my dining room window this morning. I’m glad to be home and relaxing on my mid-week day off from work. I will pull more weeds in the garden later (they are endless) but for now I rest a bit. Sabbath comes in small moments…
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Consider the Bee
Do you ever have days that you can’t decide what to do first because you have so much to accomplish? And, some of those things are fun things but the “have to do” list is overwhelming. This is my life, especially in the summer when everything is blooming and there is much work to be…
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Surprised by Grace
Life moves on in regular rhythms. Don’t we all get used to its patterns? There is a certain security in “sameness.” So when something unexpected comes along that touches my heart, it sets me off-balance. Change can be good but also unsettling. Recently I’ve been reading “Grace” by Max Lucado. I’m an avid reader but…
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Seeds of Promise
It’s Monday. My daughter, Anna, and her fiance’, are back in Asheville after a quick trip to Indy for their wedding shower. My son, Garrett has returned to Dayton for training and I go back to work this morning. Everyone is where they are supposed to be. Life moves on as rapidly as we hurtle…
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Stones of Remembrance
There are numerous accounts in the Old Testament in which the Israelites set up memorials when God came through for them in a big way. One of my favorites was after the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land. God told Joshua that He would cut off the water of the Jordan so…
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Doing the Right Thing
April 4…a day of remembrance and mourning. It’s my little sister’s birthday. She would have been celebrating 48 years had she not died in an auto accident shortly before she would have turned 5. It’s also the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis Tennessee. I was so young…
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Coeurage Through Fear
There is a misconception that those who are brave and courageous are never fearful. I have read many accounts of individuals who accomplished amazing, heroic feats. Invariably, they all say that they were fearful yet they acted anyway. They were able to push through the fear rather than run away from it, sometimes at the…
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A Way in the Wilderness
As I began my journal entry early this morning, I started to write Feb…then caught myself. This month is gone. Good-by February! Hello March with green grass and daffodils popping up. The birds are beginning to sing and get excited for spring. I think I love spring most simply because it follows winter. Winter has…
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Joy Within the Struggle
There’s nothing like baby animals to get “likes” on Facebook. I posted a video of our new baby chicks earlier this week and had a flurry of activity from friends and family. They are an absolutely adorable addition to our menagerie. Our hens have slowed down their egg laying so we needed to add to…
