We don't get a lot of fog in the area where we live, but we have been experiencing quite a bit lately. Recently, I had an appointment booked in a city sixty miles south, and so I left with lots … Read more

Because I am not a medical person, I really appreciate simple, easy-to-remember information that will help folks stay healthy. The new stroke guidelines (S. T. R.) really qualify. S. T. R. stands for the words "Smile-Talk-Raise". That is, if a … Read more

We live across the road from a school. After a recent storm in which we received first rain, then freezing rain, and then snow, I happened to be looking out the window and saw a mother and her child making … Read more

I can remember someone asking me why Christians sing so often in their churches. It puzzled him that we spend so much time in worship using music and songs to convey our praise and prayers. "If you cut out the … Read more

Having things we love in this world can bring us great comfort and also great pain, for example, our cat — an inside cat that somehow got outside. He had been sick just a month before, so this added to … Read more

At home, I have a computer that I bought in 1995. I like it; it's comfortable. I know how to open all my files, how to type a letter and get it to print out, and how to play a … Read more

I was reading a newspaper report from Scotland one day recently, which revealed that the number of prescriptions for anti-depressants in the past year has reached an all-time high: 3.5 million in a population of 5 million. It seems to … Read more

I went to have some blood drawn for some tests, which usually results in a large bruise that takes weeks to go away. This time, though, I came away with no bruise at all. Today as I was reading my … Read more

My mother told me that when I was a small girl, I had a hard time figuring out what "free" meant. I would ask, "How much is 'free'?" Everything has to "cost" something, right? Now that I am a grown-up, … Read more

It all seemed as clear as mud to me when my husband Ron and I traced our upcoming journey to the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area on the kitchen table. The map's blue lines and red squiggles didn't look much … Read more

I was given a black T-shirt with the words "Awesome God" on the front and back. One particular day, I had this shirt on under a sweater as my son and I went to play mini-golf. At this location, they … Read more

I well remember watching the clock as a child. The times I remember the most are those when Mom was baking cookies or a cake. Mother would tell us it would be another five minutes before the cookies were done. … Read more

Occasionally, I'll be reading a less familiar passage in my Bible, and a name will arouse my curiosity. Such was the case when I ran across the name "Mephibosheth". As I read, I learned that the young man had a … Read more

When I read verses like this, I knew that God was expecting me to forgive my (now dead) abuser. And I did. But when He told me to go to the cemetery and lay hands and flowers on the tombstone … Read more

We have an hibiscus tree that I was given as a gift seven years ago. When I brought it home, it fit in the back seat of my car. When we moved two years later, it travelled in the moving … Read more

I don't dream often, but recently I had a dream that was so real. It was kind of mixed up — like dreams are — but there was such a message in this dream. After visiting with a friend in … Read more

My wife died in April, and I found myself alone in a two-bedroom apartment, trying to recover from prostate surgery, with my only child working overseas. The third day after the operation, I was a complete jelly and found myself … Read more

While I was visiting a friend's home one day, she apologized to me because her dining-area table was covered with a half-finished jigsaw puzzle. "My husband and I have been working on the puzzle for a long time," she said. … Read more

A friend told me recently that she had visited Nashua, Iowa, USA. "Why?" I asked her, "What is so special about Nashua?" She replied, "That is where the 'Little Brown Church' is located. It is also where in 1857 William … Read more

Last summer, I visited my parents and noticed wasps entering the roof space. With wasp spray at the ready, I launched myself up the ladder to the roof and sprayed. When no more wasps were to be seen, I plugged … Read more

Competition in our town is great. There are two major schools in our community with rival sports teams: the city "Bulldogs" and the county "Yellow Jackets". When these two schools play each in other in football, emotions in our community … Read more

I recall an incident that took place in our high school. A student in one of my classes became very upset with the teacher when he asked the student to leave the classroom and proceed to the office on account … Read more

When I needed a mentor, a woman who would help me to be all that God desired for my life, I asked God for help, and then took honest inventory. I asked the Holy Spirit for help in my weaknesses. … Read more

The other day, I saw a lady with a cast on her leg, hobbling along on crutches. I wondered how she had broken her leg. I thought of the pain she would have been in. I wondered how long it … Read more

Last year, from February to August, family and close-friend weddings took us to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Alberta, Canada; Sicily, Italy; and to one that was a half-hour ride from home. We also had our "regular" lives to fit in between … Read more

Have you ever really taken the time to look at an onion? It doesn't matter what type of onion: red, yellow, or Spanish. Sometimes, we talk in the church about the onion in reference to our healing and how we … Read more

Sometimes on Sunday mornings, when all of our young families come to the front of the church, I sing old choruses with them. It always amazes me that some action songs that I learned as a child still captivate the … Read more

My friend, Nomie, told me about her children. They were sixteen months apart, Lori being the older. One day, Lori's little brother was annoying her. When she complained to her mother, Nomie advised her, "Just ignore him." Later, when she … Read more

The waitresses were practically running. Every staff member was in a flurry of activity. Customers recognized the overload and patiently waited their turn, Suddenly, a supervisor's voice boomed loudly over the clatter of conversation, silverware, and china. "Do you think … Read more

We call it the "Nunc Dimittis", and it can be found in the back of many hymnbooks. It's a sung blessing, like the doxology, taken from the words of today's Scripture, and is used by churches across the world as … Read more

A new year has dawned upon us. On my wall hangs a new calendar. Each year, I get calendars made with pictures of our family on each month's page. As I look at January, our whole family is there smiling … Read more