Eight years ago, my husband and I experienced our first Christmas having no church home. The month before, we’d been unjustly forced to resign our church so to say that Christmas was tough that year is an understatement. The holiday season was brutal. Absolutely brutal. I didn’t realize it then but I know now that … [Read more…]
Expectations run high this time of year. Whether I’m checking out at the grocery store or making pleasant conversation at a business luncheon, people ask the same questions: “Are you ready for Christmas? Have you gotten your tree up?” And they ask with an excitement that implies I should be equally enthusiastic about decorating for … [Read more…]
“It’s the most won-der-ful time of the year,” the song says. The holidays are upon us. Thanksgiving is one week away. Rehearsals for Christmas programs have been in full swing for months now. Life is busy and hectic and festive! Unless you’re a minister who’s been ousted from your church. If this is the first … [Read more…]
At the risk of sounding old, I’m going to admit that I long for the day when life was not bound by usernames, passwords, updates and settings. It seems that every time I turn around I’m being asked for a username or password. Usually both. Banking? Usernames and passwords are a must. Medical matters? A … [Read more…]
When I was a little girl, my dad flew a small plane. A Beechcraft Bonanza V-tail, to be exact. Family trips were often taken in N2744V. I can still hear my dad’s voice repeating that call sign every time he radioed a control tower. By the time I left home for college, I’d spent countless … [Read more…]
I’ve been thinking a lot about words lately. Maybe it’s because we’re in an election season and social media has erupted in a volley of venomous posts. Maybe it’s because I was asked to speak at a women’s gathering recently and a friend challenged me to “bring a message of hope and promise.” Maybe it’s … [Read more…]
Ever since Adam and Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit, pain has been a part of life. It’s unavoidable. If you’re alive, you must deal with pain in varying degrees of intensity. And let’s face it. Pain can be a problem. The problem with pain is that the source is not always … [Read more…]
Bright yellow signs hung throughout the hospital. They were everywhere. In the elevators. Bathrooms. Cafeteria. Patients’ rooms. In the hallways. No matter where I stood, at least one yellow triangle was visible. Never has a message been so urgent and clear. I was, after all, in a surgical hospital. CALL. DON’T FALL. Patients with new … [Read more…]