The Feather: A Symbol of High Honor
Yesterday, I was drawn again to all the geese that abound in my community. Not before the last couple of days did I notice so many of their feathers all around the grounds. I gathered enough molten feathers for a feather bouquet. My research found that Native American culture believes that all things possess an…
It Ain’t No Climb for a Climber
This Nana’s got some game! In many ways, I’m not just a spectator, but I’m in the game! Seems I still have enough tread on these tires — to keep going! I know it is God Who gives me the strength and drive to keep playing! This brings me to my week in Austin with…
Offering Sacrifices of Praise is Sometimes All We’ve Got
A dear friend of mine, for over nine years has been relentless in the care of her sweet boy and his journey with Full Trisomy 13. I’ve never seen anything like what this sweet boy has endured and neither have I seen a mother more devoted to her boy in meeting his daily needs, but…
Let’s Be Hope Dealers
I looked up “hope dealer” and ran across a website that literally “deals in hope”. Behind the website is its founder, Kyle Michael Miller, who uplifts and encourages people with powerful faith-filled stories that embody hope, resilience, strength, and trust in God while journeying through life’s toughest challenges. He says: “The heartbeat of what I…
Thanks, Lois and Eunice
(Warning — longer than my usual long blogs — but, I promise you — so worth the read!) My mother’s parents, my grandfather and grandmother, John and Mary, were two of the most loving and faith-filled couple I have ever known. At any given time of the day, you’d find them praying for their children,…
All Tied Up in Knots
Here I am again with inspiration-overload from my youngest grandson, Bryson. This time it comes from his wall climbing lesson at Crux Climbing Center (indoor wall climbing of gigantic proportions). He has moved on up (literally) in his skills to the “advanced” level – going 30 feet up — climbing with the safety of a…
How Beautiful are the Hands and Feet of Caregivers
Yesterday, I attended the funeral of Aunt Iris Litke, my father-in-law’s sister. After 68 years of marriage, her husband, Uncle Hugo preceded her to heaven. Their son, Art, and wife, Sharon and their son, Michael, were her caregivers. I’ve admired their strength yet tenderness in the care of this precious woman who struggled with tremendous…
When Mountains Don’t Move
I know mountains. I’ve gazed at their beauty from a distance. I’ve skied down them. I’ve driven the winding roads to the top of them and embraced the beauty from the top looking down. And I know MOUNTAINS — those vast, enormous obstacles and circumstances that seem beyond overwhelming. We think that if only these…
The Frog & the Pressure Cooker
I just dozed a minute in my cozy chair (I promise you — that chair is a sedative!), and I awoke suddenly because I heard: “No pressure!” At first I wondered what that meant, because I sure don’t, any longer, see my life as pressured. But then I heard it as a clarion call to…
Taking One Day at a Time
Yesterday, my sis-in-law and I caught up on each other’s lives. She’s in Tulsa. For now, I’m in Austin. We both have very active, on-the-go families and there’s much to talk about. My years of caring for elderly parents have passed, but she and my bro-in-law are still caring for their 96 and 97-year-old mothers.…