The Joys of Thanks-Giving and Thanks-Living
Thanksgiving Day is behind us, but Carl and I packed our bags with joy and headed straight into a Thanksgiving life — destination: Epiphany Ranch, East Texas. Ahh– that slice of heaven my Staci and Larry call home. The kind of place where the sky stretches so wide it feels like God painted it just…
The Blessings Keep Coming
Here we are — the day after Thanksgiving. The dishes were washed, the leftovers were stacked in the fridge and the cooks of America finally sat down for the first time in 48 hours. For some, today is the great exhale after pouring heart and soul into a feast of epic proportions. For others? It’s…
Gratitude on this Thanksgiving Day
So much to be thankful for on this day of Thanksgiving ! Right? If you’re reading this — you have eyes to see! You have a computer or cell phone to check out today’s news. Most of all — thanks be to God for His great love for us! This Thanksgiving looks a little different…
God is a Hand-Holder
I’ve held a lot of hands in my lifetime — starting with those tiny, sticky, curious little hands that belonged to my children and grandchildren. I remember those zoo trips, theme parks, parking lots — those moments when I held on tight because they trusted me to keep them safe. Their whole world felt steady…
Numbers Don’t Define Us
It still amazes me how I might not remember what I had for breakfast — yet I can rattle off my childhood phone number. It was: 462-7611. Yes — just seven numbers back then! And don’t get me started on that ticket number at the Social Security office — the one that told me I…
If You Can’t Lick ’Em… Join ’Em
It’s beginning to look a lot like — well, both. Thanksgiving and Christmas are currently sharing the stage like two headliners who showed up to the same concert. And honestly? It’s okay! Just last week, I wandered into Hobby Lobby (dangerous territory for anyone with a pulse and a credit card), and there it was:…
A Thanksgiving Week Kickoff
This is it — Thanksgiving Week! My heart is already doing cartwheels — and so is my kitchen. I’ve already gotten the call from my son: “Mom, PLEASE make your dressing — and your cheese ball — and don’t forget the artichoke dip!” Then my daughter chimed in from East Texas:“CHEESE BALL!” (I’m beginning to…
From Spin Cycles to Soul Cycles
OMG! I learn something new every day — and Sunday was no exception! I read a news piece that morning that was both surprising and strangely comforting: laundromats have a 90% success rate. Restaurants? About 30%. Retail stores? A humbling 20%. And, amusing enough, there we were after church — with dear friends, enjoying our…
Forgive… and Remember
We’ve all heard the phrase “forgive and forget.” People say it like it’s as simple as deleting an email. But life doesn’t work that way. The heart doesn’t work that way. Some hurts leave bruises that can’t be hidden — and some leave scars that don’t erase. Forgetting? That’s humanly impossible. But here’s the best…
A Shepherd, A King, and the God Who Writes Our Stories
Last week in Branson, MO — Carl and I sat in the Sight & Sound Theatre… and I’m telling you, Donna-to-reader, my jaw was somewhere on the floor. Mountains rising on stage. Real waterfalls cascading. Live birds, sheep, camels, horses — trotting past us. Costumes so magnificent that it took us back to that era.…