Woman in Whitewashed Mykonos
“You will go out in joy and be led forth with peace…” (Isaiah 55:12a NIV). “I came home to deal with my demons.” Had I understood correctly? “What’s that? Did you say, ‘Deal with your damage’?” Certainly I’d heard wrong. The woman behind the counter…
An Unlikely Friendship
“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9 It was an unlikely friendship– Discovered in an unlikely place—at a carwash on a hot July morning more than two decades ago. “Lovely day.” The elderly man was quite stooped, suffering from a condition I later learned was…
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…
Peculiar Place
It happened almost exactly thirty-two years ago today. Alone in my living room, I went to the window for the last time. And on this particular morning, I did so out of obedience. At first, I thought I’d heard wrong. After all, my loving Father…
Simeon’s Song
**The following is a fictitious rendering of Simeon’s story from Luke 2. Unless noted, all scripture references are taken from the ESV.** For many years, Simeon held to the promise in the ancient scriptures, a reminder that became his prayer as he awaited the coming Messiah—…
Thankful for… Apostrophe
***(Read to the end for a chance to win an upcoming devotional!)*** Apostrophe—(n.) a mark to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case (Merriam-Webster.com) Contraction (n.) the act of acquiring… a shortening of a word… by omission… (Merriam-Webster.com) ******* I was thinking…
Reflections on 33 Years of Marriage
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1 ESV). Marriage. That day a couple says, “I do”–it’s like stepping out in faith to walk on water, is it not? Promising to love… In sickness and in health,…
If Jesus Had a Dog
(Read to the end for a chance to win a wonderful puppy dog book by a dear writer friend!) Mother’s Day weekend 2013, a mixed-Pyrenees pup joined our family–not long after our adopted daughter, having suffered great loss, too, joined us at the age of…
Detained in Tel Aviv–Part 1
“The Lord is my shepherd…” (Psalm 23:1a). Once upon a time, a much younger me was detained in Tel Aviv. That’s right. Sounds like the making of a marvelous and quite suspenseful fiction story, does it not? Well, this one’s true. It’s a story from…
Two from Galilee–A Mother’s Perspective
“We read to know we are not alone.” ~~C.S. Lewis’s character in William Nicholson’s play, Shadowlands~~ ******* As part of my 2022 goal to read ten pages per day, one book at a time, from a variety of pre-chosen books, I also intend to offer…