A dear friend and I were planning a baby shower last week. In an effort to include some of the young girls in our church, I asked a twelve-year-old to bake/cook anything she wanted to contribute to the luncheon/shower. The next day, she told me she would bake cookies. What I didn’t know was…
Not Alone
It was a sweltering Sunday morning in June. Our souls and emotions were battered. There we sat in a church parking lot where we had never been. We were early and watched several people go into the small, country church unaware of our presence. What would we find behind those doors? People who were too…
Quick Tips for Tough Times
Illness and physical limitations can put a strain on relationships. The time we need each other most is the time our relationships come under the hardest testing. Here are some tips I’ve discovered for strengthening relationships under pressure. I’m imperfectly working on implementing them. Relationships with spouse and family 1. Ask for help clearly and…
Delight
Disclaimer: the people are real but the names have been altered to protect the innocent. About supper time, there was a soft knock at the door. I was aware that old Mrs. L might drop by, so I answered the door unenthusiastically. But she looked pathetic so I invited her in. She had a furrowed…
The Rough Door
Disclaimer: This short story is an allegory/parable meant to convey a spiritual truth, not to describe a physical object in Heaven. Lately, during times of pain, I picture God’s throne room. At one end of the long room opposite the throne stands huge, ornately carved double gold doors on well oiled hinges that open at…
Visor or Vista?
I was driving along a country road through beautiful forested hills. Although it was lovely, the heaviness of human cares seemed to shadow the scene. “What should I do about …..? How should I …..?” As I headed up a hill, I realized my car visor was blocking part of my view. I flipped it…