Full-Circle Friendship
“… And there is pansies, that’s for thoughts…” ~Hamlet~ ******* “My bestie’s moving to your neck of the woods.” That’s what my dear friend and mentor Lucinda wrote to me. And I promised her I’d make Maggie feel right at home in western North Carolina….
Happy Birthday, Dear Daughter!
Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget [other] people… Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your [Lord]. ~~Psalm 45:10–11 (NIV)~~ ****** Happy birthday, dearest Daughter! You’re 14! (Not sure how that happened. Guess I forgot and blinked!) Even…
Another Godnection–Michelle Medlock Adams
“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing…” (Psalm 68:6a NIV). From aerobics instructor to award-winning author! I first met fellow writer Michelle Medlock Adams when I was a freshman at Asbury University. Bewildered by inner voices telling me I… Wasn’t…
Freedom In Forgiveness (Selah Awards 2023 Finalist)
This was previously posted, but I’m sharing again. It’s a timely Resurrection Sunday message, as well as the 2nd-place recipient of the 2023 Selah Awards, “Articles in Print” category. (It was shared in our local newspaper, The Mountaineer.) And God’s truth–that there is freedom in…
Linda Teague–A Good Neighbor
“You’uns come and sit sometime.” That’s what she said on more occasions than I can count. And when I said, “We will,” I meant it. Truly. But time passes, life stays busy with too many missed opportunities. Frankly, that’s a shame. I’d never written a…
Pansies
“When the Lord takes one partner to be with Him in the heavenly Home, He restores the one left on earth and gives to the one remaining a new assignment to ministry and a fresh opportunity for spiritual growth” (Dorothy Kelley Patterson). ******* Today I…
Jesus Loves Me
***This appeared first at Arise Daily. It’s a finalist in the 2023 Selah Awards (Devotions Online category).*** The picture hung on our wall. It was a simple portrait depicting our Savior, and as a girl of seven, I imagined this was how Jesus looked…
If Jesus Had a Dog (Selah Awards Finalist 2023)
Honored that this essay (first posted Summer 2022), inspired by our late Finley, was chosen as a Selah Awards 2023 Finalist. If Jesus had a dog, I’ll bet His would be a good shepherd—inclined toward tending goats and sheep, striving to keep them safe. His…
Why a Word for the Year?
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (Psalm 119:105 CSB). ***Read to the end for a chance to win a wonderful new book!*** You’ve heard it asked. What’s your word for the year? This inquiry is everywhere come…
A New Year’s Letter to Wee Emory Wren
He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord (Psalm 113:9 NIV)! Dear Emory Wren, Here we are, at the close of another year. How ever can it be? Your second Christmas already, preparing for another trip around…