Bloom Where You’re Planted!
(This post has been modified slightly, having first been published in our local newspaper, The Mountaineer, on August 12, 2020.) As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and…
An Open Apology to ‘Karen’
But now, this is what the LORD says–He who created you … He who formed you … : ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine’ (Isaiah 43:1–NIV). Confession: The name Karen hasn’t been a favorite. That’s not to…
The Little Boy and the Kaleidoscope
“… We can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (Romans 8:28–The Message). The little Boy held the wooden object in his hand, clutching it tightly. “What is it?” he asked his Momma, eyes wide…
Love Spread Thick–A Recipe for Healing Hate
Hatred stirs up dissension, but LOVE covers over all wrongs (Proverbs 10:12–NIV). Basil (Ocimum basilicum)–HATE (From The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffebaugh). ******* Taking spoon, we spread the basil-based pesto thick on crackers and bread, taste the slightly bitter flavor and … Mmm–savor! Fresh cut from…
For Our “Doctor” Daddies
***Although this was written twenty years ago to honor my dad’s retirement from thirty years of work as a general surgeon in Miami County, Ohio, it applies not only to him but also to my dear husband who is also a compassionate physician and wonderful…
Fear Not, For He Knows Every Hair on My Head
When I am afraid, I will trust in You (Psalm 56:3). Though voted “Best Hair” his senior year of high school, Bill began losing his the moment he started college. Thus, he resorted to shaving his head some years later, a look that is quite…
GRACE–What God Can Do With A Gap
*** This is written after considering further my most recent post regarding George Floyd and our friend Rich Baker. Rather than amending that one, I’ll expound here.*** *** Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new…
Breathing Heaven’s Breath and Bouncing Superballs
But now, thus says the LORD, who created you… And He who formed you…: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine (Isaiah 43:1–NKJV). Two men–one black, one white–who never met on this earth are sharing the joys…
Thank You for ‘This Life We Share’!
Our lives on this planet are beautifully and intricately interconnected. God never intended his children to navigate the journey alone. May others experience his love through us.~~From Maggie Wallem Rowe’s This Life We Share. How could I have known that, by attending a small group session on creative writing,…
An Open Letter to the House Finch
To Whom It May Concern: Why? Why, I ask, do you continue, year after year, to build nests in all four of my front porch ferns? I earnestly beseech thee. Truth is, I have trouble with this; thus, I’m writing to you today to address…