Comments Off on Unexpected Blessing
Unexpected Blessing
Every day God brings us blessings to brighten our lives. At times He surprises us with a gift we never asked for and never thought we needed. Over the years, as my kids were growing up, we raised a menagerie of animals in our rural Indiana home. Stray dogs and…
Comments Off on The Practice of Patience
The Practice of Patience
The practice of patience has never been one of my virtues. Anyone who knows me would attest to this. Once I decide on a course of action, I barrel on ahead at top speed, slowing only for the next turn. This works well if the map to the destination is…
Comments Off on Gem Within the Junk
Gem Within the Junk
Don’t let garbage subdue Grace For every new beginning, there must also be an ending. Old junk needs to be cleaned out before any fresh creation begins. We all intuitively know this. However, instead of going through the necessary purging process, we often forge ahead amidst the mess. Then we…
Comments Off on Snow Day
Snow Day
Relax, Reflect and Renew. Relish this wonderous gift. Light snow flakes blow in waves across the already brilliant white space between our home and the chicken house. None of the birds have peered out today but I don’t blame them. They huddle together next to their warming light and I…
Strength for the New Year
The beginning of every year is a time for fresh starts. We set out new goals. Some pick one word to focus on while others make New Year Resolutions for change. We dream of losing weight, running a marathon, finding a new job, or perhaps, writing a book. Statistically, the…
Comments Off on Love Came Down
Love Came Down
The Gift of Love at Christmas is permanent and priceless. All the presents are open. The festivities are complete. Everyone has returned to their regular routine after the whirlwind of preparation leading up to Christmas. Sometimes the calm after all the craziness leaves me a little melancholy. I enjoy visiting…
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Happily Ever After
At Christmas time, the promise of "happily ever after" breaks into our reality. Jesus' birth began the great redemption story.
Comments Off on The Gift of Time
The Gift of Time
Out of all the gifts we give at Christmas, isn’t the gift of time what our hearts long for the most? Too much to do with too little time. This is my life much of the Christmas season. I love preparing for the celebration and choosing gifts for family and…
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Attitude is Everything
I know that it is cliché to say it, but attitude really is everything. How a person thinks determines the success or failure of a day, a year, or even a life. The good news is that your attitude can change. Even the most ingrained ways of thinking can be…
Comments Off on The Table is Set
The Table is Set
The holidays are upon us. Doesn’t Thanksgiving seem early this year? The pumpkin pies are done but I still have a ham to bake as well as green bean casserole and sweet potato soufflé to take to my sister’s house. The table is set. We’ll have enough food to feed…
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Solid Ground
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Instant access to news from around the world is both a blessing and a curse. If you’re like me, you wonder sometimes what is real or true. The world seems to have suddenly changed into a crazy place with no solid ground to stand upon…or…
Comments Off on The Power of One Seed
The Power of One Seed
Seeds are amazing. Within every seed is the genetic material needed to create a whole plant. A single seed in the crevice of a rock with enough soil, sun and rain, can produce a tree that will split the rock as it grows. Little by little, as the roots and…
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Risky Prayer
Prayer, by definition, is an entreaty or petition to God. Many prayers contain thanks or praise for what God has already done, though almost every prayer consists of asking God for something specific. Give us this day our daily bread. Heal my illness. Help me find a job, a…
Comments Off on A Cloud by Day and Fire by Night
A Cloud by Day and Fire by Night
Do you ever struggle choosing what direction to go or what action to take next? How great it would be if I had a cloud guiding me by day and a fire lighting my way at night like the Israelites. After they were freed from captivity in Egypt, God instructed…
Comments Off on Cherish the Old Ways Through Passing on Life Skills
Cherish the Old Ways Through Passing on Life Skills
My morning began in the garage painting the storm windows to replace them before the winter cold returns. We live in an old farmhouse in rural Indiana where sharp winds blow across the open fields. All the windows except these last 4 we replaced with modern, high-efficiency vinyl ones. I…
