What battles are you facing? At last count I know of FIVE in my immediate family. They are of a varied sort, ranging from health struggles to work situations. And as I have been thinking about them and praying, I've just found myself exhausted. This morning I realized...

Real world story.   A friend messaged me this morning after reading my Facebook post yesterday about being discouraged. She was confused about her calling. Should she do one artistic pursuit that gave her joy? Or another that she was now struggling with? And she...

"It's the right thing to do."   I grew up hearing those words from my parents, who were born into what would be called The Greatest Generation. They made do and helped neighbors during the Great Depression. They fought heroically during World War II and kept the farms...

Have you sensed God's fingerprints on your life? Those unexplainable circumstances that weave who you are with where you've been? We see God's fingerprints all over the story of the Shunnamite woman. Watch the pieces unfold in 2 Kings, first in Chapter 4. - Elisha...

Last fall I wrote about how I had planted 275 bulbs--mostly daffodils and tulips. I have never done well with growing flowers. Years ago I planted 42 rose bushes in my back yard; I'd hoped they would grow into a hedge to frame the outer edges of the yard. They never...

For years my mom has been saying, “Janet, how did I get to be so old?” I get it now. Yesterday at 10:30 a.m. she called me and said, “I’m celebrating the fact that at this moment I’ve been a mother for 70 years.” Somehow that backhanded blessing was easier to hear...

The most peaceful day of the week should be Sunday, right?   So, how do your Sundays go?   Is it a struggle to get kids up out of bed and looking their best? Is there a last-minute shuffle to get out the door with all the things? Or is there a mindset of "do we really...

I remember lyrics from a song from my children's youth: "With my God I can do valiantly." I sang it along with them, praying they would be strong and courageous.   And they have. They've traveled abroad. They've overcome hardships. They finished college and have done...

You've heard of The Dating Game, right? How about The Waiting Game? I'm terrible at waiting. Just one example comes from my early teaching days when I chaired our school's accreditation review committee. If I delegated various writing sections of the report to certain...

I have a fight with myself every day. Every day I tell myself to go for a walk. But then the excuses slip in the door. "It's cold and windy." "I have too much to do." "I'm tired and need a nap." Yesterday that fight went on for an hour and fifteen minutes. Ridiculous....