My little brother is thirty years old. He is a public defender. My mom must have dropped him on his head. How else could he have made that career choice? I told him that if I ever sat in his courtroom I wouldn’t sit anywhere near him. I would sit on the victims side!
I greeted my brother outside of the court room. He was busy speaking with families and clients. I walked up to him in front of these people and pretended to be one of his clients, “Is my case going to be heard today?” I asked. My brother played right along, “Yes, I believe it is.
Continue Reading »
My son is reading Charlotte’s Web at school. As a class project, he brought home an egg to take care of for a week, just as Wilbur took care of Charlotte’s egg. He has to write in a journal each day about the adventures he has with the egg. He has named it, and he can read to it, wash it, play with it, and decorate or dress it. He is not supposed to leave it alone. He can take it back and forth to school with him or get a baby sitter. Spencer’s egg’s name is Kirby.
Today, a tragedy occurred.
Continue Reading »
I’ve been thinking a lot about children lately. Not only because I recenly got an Operation Christmas Child catalog in the mail, with pictures and stories about children around the world who received Christmas boxes, but also because my church is in the process of building a children’s building. One of the primary focuses of the building effort is remembering that the things we do today can have a big impact on others tomorrow.
Especially kids.
You might’ve heard the popular saying….
One hundred years from now
It will not matter what kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
How much money I had in my bank account,
Nor what my clothes looked like.
Continue Reading »
The older I become the more appreciative I am of the true girl friends that fill my life.
While I’m not old, I’ve certainly lived long enough to recognize the futility that comes hand-in-hand with senseless competitiveness and desperate struggles to be everything you think your friend (or neighbor or sister or cousin or even a perfect stranger) is.
As I begin my cruise through mid-life I am thankful for the great group of gals that surround me. They praise my strengths and tolerate my idiosyncracies. They cry with me and laugh with me. They know that I’m not perfect and they’re okay with that.
Continue Reading »
“STOP!” I yelled as my son went to cross the road from between some bushes without looking. I prayed a prayer of thanks that he actually listened to me . All those times of practicing paid off along with some divine intervention I’m sure. I could see from where I was standing what he was about to do, I could see the oncoming traffic and I knew neither of them would see the other until it was too late.
Do you think I was showered with praise from my 4 year old son for saving his life? Nope. Not even an acknowledgement.
Continue Reading »
If you’re a parent, you know how frustrating it can be when your kids don’t listen to you. Asking for something to get done two, three and even four times can be aggravating and discouraging. And even if you’re not a parent, it can be just as discouraging when a spouse or a friend doesn’t listen to what you’re saying.
It doesn’t feel good to be ignored.
But how often do we do that very thing to God?
How often do we ignore Him and what He asks us to do?
The other day I was reading Hebrews, chapter 3 and I came across this verse:
“Today listen to what he says.
Continue Reading »
Sometimes, life just happens. No matter how well we have planned, hoped and prayed, it just seems to keep moving in a direction that we do NOT want or expect.
I often feel overwhelmed by my life. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband and children dearly. When it comes down to it and I get very honest though, there are certain parts that are making life difficult at the moment. I know I’m not alone.
Thankfully I understand that God knows the ultimate plan for my life. My plan … well, my plan is anything but perfect. My plan is mortal and fallible.
Continue Reading »
The summer sun first sprinkled light brown freckles across the bridge of my bunny-sized nose during the season of my girlhood. Each year brings a few more to my body. My arms, shoulders, and back all wear tiny spots hand made by the life-sustaining ball of fire. I like my freckles, but I give them little thought. In fact, when I wear makeup, the ones on my face are barely visible.
Still new to the world, my preschool age daughter delights in daily discoveries. She studiously examines God’s creation, especially delighting in the nuances of plants, animals, and humans. Last summer, while we stood on our porch tending to the small potted herb garden, she asked me question after question.
Continue Reading »
