From Presents to Presence
Yesterday the young ones were jumping in excitement: “He was here! He was here!” The “jolly old soul” showed up! They were sure he was there. The cookie plate and glass of milk were empty! Stockings that were hung by the chimney with care were bulging with presents on the floor. I made it back…
A Birth Announcement Beyond Compare
The birth announcement fad of “Gender Reveal” has seemed to take over social media. Lots of fun ways to announce a sweet baby girl or boy who will soon make their debut. Don’t you love it when a friend or family member shares the good news “We are expecting!” in a cute photo long before…
This Wasn’t My Plan
It wasn’t what we expected. Kylie, Brennan’s girl friend and I, headed to Austin Airport Friday morning. In just a short while we’d be flying to Cabo del Sol. All was a piece of cake – short lines to get our boarding passes, short lines through security, and plenty of time to be on time…
The Risky Rewards of Saying “Yes” to God
I said “Yes” and married an 18-year-old man-child when I was 17. Three months later, the man-child said: “Let’s start our family!” Again, I said “Yes”. It was risky to marry so young, but even more risky to bring a baby into this world when we were mere babies ourselves. We didn’t have our maturity,…
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…
In God We Trust
We trust technology. We trust the pilot of our plane. We trust the pharmacist. We trust our doctor. We sort of trust the weather person. We sort of trust our car salesman. We sort of trust God! Yikes! I don’t like that last sentence, because of who and what we trust…..trusting God should be the…
How Do Our Yeses Measure Up to Mary’s?
A friend came over to receive some items for a ministry position that she had said YES to. We talked about how a YES means uncertainty yet a beautiful and dramatical inward change when that YES comes out of our heads and we say it out loud! When we say YES, suddenly we start to…
The Sky is Falling. Oh, No, it’s Not!
Remember the story of Chicken Little? Chicken Little was having a great day when an acorn fell from a tree, hitting the top of her head and she cries out: “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Proverbs 4:23 says “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” Isn’t that so…
It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World Out There
Who would have thought that some of my best “pals” these days are dogs. It comes with my territory and my family. There’s my grand-dogs: Buddy, the 75-pound Australian Shepherd and Emma, the 4-pound Yorkie, who, I happen to be their caregiver right now while their family is out of town. I get a kick…
Merry Christmas! God Showed Up!
“He was here! He was here!” Kids all over the world are waking up their families with shrills and abounding excitement! The “jolly old soul” made it to their homes last night. They are sure he was here because the cookie plate only has crumbs on it. Most importantly, stockings that were hung by the…