I like the quote I read somewhere that Lent observance is like Spring housecleaning for the soul. I’ve been motivated to do a little deeper than usual cleaning because the sun came out and I could clearly see the dust and spiderwebs lurking in my house! And the sunshine gave me a lift so I’m…
Category: Seasonal
Though I Walk Through the Valley
Our family has gotten bad news after bad news this week. Things seem dark. There have been a lot of tears. The grimness can be overwhelming. In times like these I’m reminded that Jesus experienced sorrows and pain, too. So we run into his welcoming arms because he understands. During this sad week, one lone…
Good News for the New Year
Have you ever considered the journeys of Mary and Joseph and how they resemble many of our journeys in life? We all have unplanned, inconvenient journeys in our lives that we’d rather not take. I’m sure you can think of times in your life that were hard and perhaps unexpected. I can think of some…
A Christmas Gift
On Friday, we had a fun dinner party at our house. (That sounds fancier than it really was. Make that a fun each-couple-bring-a-dish meal.) After dessert, we each answered the question, “What gift do you remember from a Christmas past?” Even though some of the stories were sad, I learned some important things by listening to…
Stumbling Behind in Mary’s Footsteps
I’m embarrassed to admit that I got sideways over several small Christmas preparations. What’s worse is that these were first-world issues that I’m lucky to deal with while many in the world don’t have enough to eat. But that didn’t prevent me from getting upset. Because I didn’t plan ahead, our Christmas family get-together totally fell…
Love, Joy, Peace
There were no Christmas trees, pretty lights, Christmas movies, catchy holiday tunes, cozy fires, or soft blankets. We didn’t have phones, computers, or a TV. The closest family member was an ocean away. We didn’t have holiday food. We had electricity only a few hours a day. It had been a year and a half…