God’s Hands of Protection
My grandson, 22-year-old Payton, came down to Austin from Dallas to be part of the 16th birthday celebration for Bryson. Bonus was he stayed with me and got my Christmas decorations in for me. Of course that puts me into “protective mode”. Meaning, when he departed yesterday morning, I prayed God’s hands of protection over…
Being Careful with Our Walk
A few days ago, while getting my nails done at the salon, a young woman came in with a full cast on her arm. She asked for her gel nails to be removed because of an upcoming surgery. Being the nosey, wanna’-know gal that I am, I asked what happened. She said she fell on…
Have a Blessed Day!
“Have a good one!” “Have a great day!” Those are parting words from upbeat, positive, and intentionally optimistic people. Some folks are so caught up in their own world, expressing upbeat wishes to others doesn’t cross their minds. They’re all about their own agenda and trudging through their own day. If you’re one of my…
You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!
If you’re saying that to me — you hit the nail on the head! Yes! I have — from that intimidated, shy, fearful, and low self-esteem young girl to this out there in attitude, brave and confident “mature” woman. I am a better version of myself because I determined to get out of that shell…
Embrace the Place
It is almost eight months since my move to Austin. I arrived to my place with no hot water in an icy, snow-covered city. But that was a blessing to have water at all. The pipes had frozen and busted in the building. The other residents were trailblazers for the rest of us who moved…
Seeing Through God’s Eyes
Last Sunday I heard a beautiful message. “Imagine you are a blank slate and there is no data in you. No more past failures or troubles. No influences. On this first day you find out there is a God who created you in His own image. (Genesis 1:27). Really? I’m like God! Awesome! Then the…
When You’re a Hugger and an Encourager
That’s me. I come from a family of huggers. These arms were meant to reach out and hug. So, throw me into a world of social distancing, and I’m very uncomfortable. I was amused when someone reacted to my “Are You Vaccinated?” blog with these words: “Jesus would be first in line to get the…
Is Praying for You a Quickie Response?
Sometimes we REALLY mean it when we say those words to others and we do pray for them. But let’s be real. Oftentimes, we say: “Praying for you” and never give the “intended” a second thought. We want to be that one who goes to the throne for others, but life happens or our well-intended…
A Little Encouragement Goes a Long Way
I often see visitors coming into our complex for a tour of the property. Sometimes I strike up a conversation with them to let them know how wonderful it is to live here. I was speaking to a visitor and her daughter and I asked the mother if she was married or single. She immediately…
You’re Not the Boss of Me
My son called and asked me to send him this first photo of Bryson and the pelicans. Bryson’s school’s yearbook team was collecting favorite photos of their students for their upcoming annual. It was easy to find the photo and send it to my son because I keep it in my “Family Archives” file as…