No Man or Woman is an Island
I’ve heard of little animals who prefer to be loners — leaving their packs to wander alone. But that shouldn’t be us — we were made to embrace connection. How can we love our neighbors as ourselves if we never connect with our neighbors? Remember the story in the Bible of the shepherd pursuing that…
Romans 8:28 – The Good News of Bad News
We are known as an optimistic family. We reinforced optimism in our children with “You are champions. You can do anything if you set your heart and mind to it. “I can’t” not accepted in this house! With God all things are possible.” We purposely spoke: “God is good — all the time” regardless of…
Celebrating Fathers
Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads! You know who you are – biological or adoptive, father-figure, or father-mentor, you are truly appreciated and loved. I especially want to give a shout out to all the fathers who, regardless of their circumstances, step up to the plate and do their part in parenting. I…
Peace be with You
I love those words — the words of speaking peace over someone. And isn’t that what this world needs – living in a state of God’s peace that passes all understanding, regardless of circumstances or places we happen to be in at any given time? Isn’t it inspiring to listen to the faith journeys of…
Patient and Gentle Persuasion
Have you ever had someone in your life who is so doggone sweet, kind, and gentle that you wanted to hang with them so that some of that ooey, gooiness of them would rub off on you? I have – and I am still working on the “rub”! And, then, you find out what that…
Something to Shout About
Forgive me as I take off on a tangent today. We lived in Tulsa, OK for forty-plus years and we were avid fans of OU — Oklahoma University’s sports teams. We always rooted for them. On the other hand, my brother-in-law who attended Oklahoma State University, with his children, were huge OSU fans. We were…
Who Wants to be Normal?
How “different” are we from what is “normal” to others? Some say that “It’s NORMAL to be stressed, fearful, overwhelmed, exhausted, angry, sad, and just plain ornery.” “Normal” to some is ranting and raving right along with all those who are dissatisfied with the weather, the economy, their relatives and relationships, their neighbors, their job,…
Camp Brave Heart
Don’t you just love that title? It is more than a title. It is a place of hope and refuge. My friend asked if I’d like to volunteer with him to help with getting children and teens off to their summer camp. I wasn’t hesitant at all, but WOW, did I get a boatload of…
Harping about Loving
What can we do about this world’s craziness? Let it play out? Or, as Christians, demonstrate radical love so that hurting, misunderstood and broken people will know Jesus by OUR love. Jesus reached His world in three short years. Those years ignited a flame that continues to spread to OUR world. Jesus “harped” on love.…
Homeward Bound — Bentley’s Incredible Journey
A saying goes: “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. That is correct except that the beholder may not be able to physically see. On the other hand, I know some incredible sight-impaired people who see with their heart. I think that’s called their 6th sense. In the case of our precious 14-years-old Bentley,…