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How To Respond When Thankfulness Doesn’t Come Easy
It’s Thanksgiving week and turkey with all the fixings await me. As I ponder all I have to be thankful for, my thoughts are juxtaposed against all my worries and challenges. I find myself weighing one against the other. In reality, the challenges I face are small in comparison to my blessings. Yet, the worries…
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Stepping Out Within the Storm
Self-preservation is a strong instinct. When waves lap over the bow and wind batters my ship, human nature urges me to hunker below deck. Stepping out within the storm wouldn’t even cross my mind. But this is exactly what the apostle Peter did. Were Peter’s actions simply a moment of impulsiveness? Or is there more…
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Beauty Found Within the Ashes
Life is so full of confusing contrasts. Isn’t it odd how often unexpected beauty is found within the ashes? Its boldness brightens our day and pushes away worries that threaten to weigh us down. Out of the darkness, beauty offers hope within a world blanketed in sorrow. During my recent drive back to East Tennessee,…
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I Think I Can: A Mindset of Confidence
When my children were young, one of my favorite stories to read to them was The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. Now that my grandchildren are old enough to listen to books, I find joy in this classic tale once again. The best line in the story comes as the little engine chugs…
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Caught Up in an Unexpected Standstill
My day whizzed past as I navigated a busy four-lane highway heading back home to Tennessee. After more than a week of working in the wellness clinic and helping with my twin grandchildren, I focused my mind on all I planned to do to catch up. I was gliding along the smooth pavement, passing other…
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Simple Stewardship: A Trust to Keep
In the times we live in, a little simple stewardship goes a long way. We hear a lot about not overusing our resources in the media which is important. But what about reusing what we already have? The sticker shock of inflation has everyone reeling in the check-out line. Instead of purchasing new items, have…
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Living Hope: Faith in Action
Do you sometimes leave worship services with more questions than when you entered? I know I do. Since this past Sunday, I’ve wrestled with Pastor Doug’s sermon. His message spoke of living hope which is not a new term for me. According to the Bible, Jesus is our living hope. However, our guest minister didn’t…
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Embracing Hope Despite the Soul Pains of Life
Here you are again blindsided by pain. Just when you thought the rollercoaster of life was on level ground, your world has been turned upside down by grief once more. I’m not writing about physical pain but soul pain–the kind that squeezes your heart and steals your breath. There are not enough tears to wash…
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Cultivate a Mindset of Joyful Abundance
As the dog days of summer wane into early fall, my initial enthusiasm for the vegetable garden is beginning to lag. I’ve planted, hoed, weeded, and harvested until I have little energy and no creativity left. Every year it’s the same. I typically end up with a surplus of vegetables–especially zucchini. Even though I plant…
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Change is Never Easy
Nearly two years have passed since my husband and I made the decision to move out of state from our Indiana home. We both love the Smokey Mountains and the time seemed right to take a leap of faith. In July 2021, we purchased our dream farm in East Tennessee. But change is never easy.…
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Gleaning Wisdom from Nature: Be Like the Bees
If you pay attention to the natural world, it will teach you many helpful lessons. It always amazes me how my bees offer me bits of wisdom applicable to my own life. When I observe their daily habits and compare them to my own, I’m convicted and a little envious. Oh, that I could be…
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Celebrating This Exceptionally Unwelcome Birthday
In July, I turn 65 and for the past 3 months, insurance companies have hounded me to sign up for Medicare. From emails to phone calls and even Facebook ads, they implore me to choose their supplement or Advantage plan. The stubborn part of me, continues to procrastinate. Why do all these people persist in…
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Tell Your Story . . . Then Let the Holy Spirit Do the Rest.
Are you ready to tell your story? I asked myself on our way to church. Trepidation filled my heart. It was Pentecost and we had a guest minister in the pulpit. Since we live just north of Asheville NC, my husband and I had time to attend Sunday services before driving to the Blue Ridge…
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Trust Jesus With Your ‘What Ifs’
If I’m totally honest, I admit I worry too much. With the daily disasters reported in the news, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘What If’ game. This is especially true when it comes to my grandchildren. What if they become ill, what if they’re in an accident, what if . . .…
