The Moving-Away Part of Bonding
I woke up early this morning because I wanted to say goodbye to my daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren. Saying “Goodbye” last night would have been okay, but I wanted to give them another hug before they drove away in their minivan. Seeing them drive off reminded me of the following poem, which I wrote […]
The Place of Rest
I wrote the following poem quite a few years ago. I need to read it often, because it’s so easy for me to fall back into my workaholic mode of operation. The Place of Rest When my work becomes so serious I lose sight of who I serve; My flesh becomes so weary I’ve no […]
What is Growing in the Garden of Your Heart?
A few weeks ago while I was observing the phlox that surround my deck, I noticed some tall plants among them that had not yet blossomed. I suspected that they were weeds and wanted to pull them up. My husband said, “Oh, don’t pull them up, they might be flowers.” “No, they are not flowers,” I said. […]
The Candle That Cannot Be Blown Out
Earlier this week, I celebrated another birthday. I had no birthday cake this time; instead, I splurged on a gluten-free chocolate dessert. However, when I was growing up, cakes were an important part of a birthday celebration. I have a picture of myself sitting in front of a cake on which there is one tiny candle. […]
Two Forms of God’s Amazing Grace
During our breakfast-time, table-talk one morning this week, my husband told me about the following incident. While driving on the highway not far from our home, he saw a small fawn standing in the road in front of him. The animal walked into the road, stood there, and just looked at him. My husband said, […]
Two Images of a Wonderful Marriage
Earlier this week, I posted a picture on Facebook of John and me with this caption: “Walking on the path where we fell in love 50 years ago.” Among the comments that I received were words such as these: “love, romantic, special, cute, and wonderful.” I appreciated all of the comments, and I love my friends and […]
How God Healed a Broken Marriage
Today’s post is written by my friend, Rosemary Losser. We are both passionate in our desire to teach others 1) how to grow toward emotional and spiritual maturity and 2) how to develop better relationship and peacemaking skills. I invited Rosemary to share her story because, through it, she both illustrates God’s power in prayer and talks […]
What God Did As I Stood Still
Today’s post is written by Terry Gassett, a new friend of mine. In her true story, she shares a difficult prayer-struggle she had with God, the amazing gift she received by respecting his denial of her request, and the lessons she learned. I invite you to read her story; I believe you will gain a […]
A Type of Prayer That We Need to Often Practice
After listening to all the distressing news reports from Orlando—the mass shooting, the murder of a Christian musician, and the drowning of a child at Disney World, I went to bed feeling deeply grieved. I also felt frustrated about my own unfinished tasks and disappointed that I had not accomplished my goals. In the middle […]
A “Goodbye” Poem to My Father
Twenty-one years ago, my father left this earth and entered his heavenly home. On this Father’s Day Sunday, and in the days leading up to it, I’ve been missing him almost as much as I did on the first night that he was gone. Mom is now, there, too. Through re-reading a poem that I wrote twenty-one […]