The Language of Privilege Vs. the Language of Duty
My dear husband greeted me this a.m., with a big smile. “Why are you so happy?” I asked. “I had such fun last night,” he said. “Tell me about it.” “Those prisoners were so grateful. They hung on every word. At one point, one of them raised his hand and asked ‘Will you say that, […]
Extending Valentine’s Day Beyond February 14th
On Valentine’s Day this year, John bought me a beautiful bouquet of red roses; I bought him a card that had a message I knew he would like, and we ate lunch at the Thai restaurant. After four days, the rose bouquet, with the card standing beside it, is still setting on the table but […]
Why Love is Better than Knowledge
My week started off with two special events. On Monday night, John and I enjoyed a dinner prepared by our friend, Marianne. She cared enough to find out exactly what my restricted diet included, and she prepared those foods in a tasty and attractive way. Even though she had been up early and had spent […]
Whose Rating Matters to Us?
Just about everything in this world is rated; hotels, motels and restaurants; airlines, cruise lines, and cars; books, photographs, and computers; clothing, luggage, and umbrellas; mattresses, linens, and floor coverings; cleaning supplies, paints, and lumber; cameras, TV’s, and tablets. On and on it goes. Sometimes I feel like I don’t dare make a purchase unless […]
What God Wants to Produce in Us, During Times of Pain and Trouble
Three of my friends were recently told that they might have cancer; they all had the necessary diagnostic tests done. For two of my friends, the test was negative; for one, it was not. After hearing about the positive test, I felt very angry—angry at God. I went for a long walk and talked to […]
What Are You Doing to Make Your Soul Laugh?
Last weekend at New Hope Community Church where I’m a member, people in leadership positions got together for an inspiring series of meetings. Being part of the leadership team, naturally I attended. Through a video presentation, given by Wayne Cordeiro, pastor of New Hope Church in Honolulu, Hawaii, God challenged me to make some changes […]
About the Game of “Looking Good”
I’m getting tired of hearing about which of the candidates that are seeking to become their parties nominee for president have high approval ratings and which do not. But then, which one of us can honestly say that we are never concerned about looking good. When what we do receives a smile, And who we are […]
“Sticks and Stones Will Break My Bones, But Words”?
“As a tree gives fruit, healing words give life, but dishonest words crush the spirit.” Proverbs 15:14 NCV In a conversation I had this week, I was asked, “Can someone else know what I want better than I do?” Earlier in the week another person, telling me about the frustration of dealing with non-medical people who […]
Planning for Joy in 2016
Joy is something we all want; yet how we define it, how we find, and we keep it differ. These are a few of my thoughts; Joy is hard to define, but it’s more than a feeling and more than a change of attitude. It is not something that happens to us. It’s something that […]
Reflections Following a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Last night I attended a Christmas Eve service. It was filled with music and light. The quietness of the wiggling, three-month-old representation of Jesus who sat on his mother’s lap (she, of course, was dressed as Mary) amazed me. The sincerity of young children, who carried candles and explained their meanings—peace, joy and hope—warmed my […]