Month: November 2005

Our given name is our own and is sometimes unique, but our surname or family name is one we share with others. Sometimes the name is so well known it is shared with many different families having no connection with … Read more

Last winter, I received an attractive postcard in the mail with a picture of pipers on the front, an antique model car, and crowds of people. The words inscribed across the front were, "Cause for a gathering", and when I … Read more

Over the years, we have had thirteen different international students living with us. They always bring small traditional gifts for us when they come — and often when they leave, as well. One gift recently was a small replica of … Read more

I have learned quite a bit about the Christian walk and its challenges, just by getting together with Christians and listening as they shared their personal experiences. We were not only bonded together, but we realized temptation was a common … Read more

About eighteen months ago, I was in a restaurant having a coffee before Sunday School. At one of the tables, a woman was sitting alone, looking unkempt, unwashed, and untidy. She was having an imaginary conversation with someone who wasn't … Read more

I had purchased a gift card for a friend. In doing so, I tore off the strip that is used as a hanger for display purposes, and without thinking, I left it in the car. Several days later, I rediscovered … Read more

When our children were growing up, we purchased a horse called Luckie. Unlike many other things acquired during these years, she did not wear out. After the children were grown, gone away to college, and on to careers and homes … Read more

A sudden and unexpected power outage can be a shock and a source of frustration to those working in offices where telephone, e-mail, fax, and printing capabilities are all dependent on electrical power. Yet such an event can be a … Read more

When my youngest daughter left home a few years ago, she packed her large assortment of stuffed toys to take with her. But as she left her room, she hesitated in the doorway and said, "Mom, the room looks too … Read more

We have a Yellow Labrador retriever that weighs 95 pounds. We also have a new kitten. The kitten weighs at the most 3 pounds. When I am alone in the house and working from our home-based office, the dog will … Read more