On a mild December afternoon, a sparkle in the yard caught my eye. It seemed to come from the orange tree. And although I knew it was too early for blossoms on the tree, I tip-toed out to the tree with curiosity. No blossoms greeted me, but the tree had green, golf-ball sized oranges perched on scattered limbs. I was stunned. I had never seen a blossom in the spring after our frigid winter that nearly killed the fruit … Continue reading →
It’s been a long time coming. This urge to write. To write through the pain. To write while hoping for change. What to write? How to write it? What could I say that would bless others? My fists clenched tightly crushing the beautiful petal I wanted to preserve. The pain so raw, I could not touch it with words. The grasping to control that which was slipping through my fingers. When and where would I begin? I tried once … Continue reading →
Dwelling in His presence, there is strength for today and hope for tomorrow. While resting in Him, I couldn’t help but notice the glorious creation He had painted here in the desert. Equipped with only my meager, inexpensive cell phone camera, I snapped away at His majesty as I looked up. AUTUMN IN ARIZONA “You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm … Continue reading →
With the holidays upon us and issues to sort through in my life, I will be taking a break from blogging.Thank you to all of my faithful followers who have inspired and encouraged me in this journey of writing. I pray you have blessed days with family and friends through this season. And, maybe, when I return to writing, we can reconnect again. Giving thanks to the Lord for: 724) Coworkers who are friends … Continue reading →
“… I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40 NIV Last week, our church teamed up with AMOR Ministries and built three houses for families in Mexico. The families who are recipients of the new homes have been identified by a local Christian church as being in desperate need of a new dwelling. While living in leaky, clapboard houses, camper … Continue reading →
I snuggled onto our family room sofa to to read my morning devotional. But once I started into Colossians, Chapter 3, I could not stop. “Set your hearts on things above,…” I read. The room was quiet and the view outside was cloudy creating a calming spirit in the room. I could see that my heart and mind were not focused on heavenly things but on those of this world–the housework, bills, family issues, work, worry about the … Continue reading →
A few clicks of the phone keys as I walk across the cement pathways connecting classrooms on our elementary campus can ignite a charge of unnecessary emotions. The message so urgent to relay, I can’t wait until the last bell rings and the kiddos wild with elation dash for their buses. I press send, flip the phone closed, slip its slender case into my pants pocket, and walk into the classroom. Now, I just need a reply, a vibration … Continue reading →
The sky was a patchwork of puffy, white clouds stitched across a blue background. The air whistled a crisp fall breeze as the children danced around the play equipment and fed the curious animals in a traveling petting zoo. Adults dressed in purple shirts wearing warm, easy smiles wrapped their guests in love as all proclaimed the goodness of the Lord. After three long years, a sweet girl with brown ringlets had become the daughter of a very … Continue reading →
“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Proverbs 29:11 NIV Like a tree tossed ferociously in a storm is a person consumed by anger. The feelings and thoughts whip one around with hurricane force. The person does not know which way she is bending but words spewed from the mouth in anger are carried on the vicious wind, never to return. So much damage can be done … Continue reading →
Questions Need Soul Answers-Psalm 131 I could feel the depression creep into my skin like an insidious attack of insects looking for a winter home in which to roost. I flipped my head to the other side on my soft pillow, hoping to rub out the feeling of invasion and a Saturday morning filled with dreariness. Only the morning’s grogginess filled my waking mind at first. But once the invasion began, my contemplation of the day ahead became sullied … Continue reading →
