In the heart of Maybole, Scotland, there is an old collegiate church, where the ancient kings of Carrick were buried. It's over 800 years old, is in ruins, and is also surrounded by an old cemetery, which is still looked … Read more
Archive for June, 2009
Plow Straight Rows
I live in permanent gratitude for a message I heard as a little girl in church years ago. By Bible verses and large vivid drawings, it was illustrated what happens when farmers plowing a field keep their eyes to the … Read more
The Shocking Truth
Years ago, when I was in seminary, I was amongst a group of divinity students who had arranged a meeting with shop stewards from the ship builders in Glasgow. The men we met were rugged and coarse, and had spent … Read more
A Hail Storm Lesson
Last Wednesday, I went to a feed store to buy some seeds. By this time in the summer, most garden shops are out of seeds, so I was delighted to get some for a second planting to replenish my salad … Read more
Truth Handlers
Sometimes people can't handle the truth. I know that I hate being criticized, especially when it's true. I get all defensive and begin to fluster. I get angry inside, and I want to go on the offensive, beating down my … Read more
Tree Pulling
I like to garden — but I don't like pulling weeds. I especially don't like pulling up weed trees that are growing in the middle of a flower bed or vegetable garden. Even more, I detest uprooting volunteer trees that … Read more
The Flying Scotsman – Eric Liddell
If you've ever seen the movie, Chariots of Fire, you'll know that it's about Great Britain's highly successful 1924 Olympic sprinting team. The movie focuses on two runners, Harold Abrahams from England and Eric Liddell from Scotland. Both won gold … Read more
Blessed, Poor In Spirit
"Good night, and God bless you!" was said to my siblings and me every night of our childhood, teens, and adult lives. My parents-in-law said the same to their children, and we did to our children, and they to their … Read more
Like Calves And Colts
Bright sunshine flooded the fields as I drove to church. In one, a Holstein calf caught my attention as it gambolled around, testing its legs. Meanwhile, its mother contentedly chewed her cud. In another dandelion-dotted meadow, two colts broke away … Read more
Look At Me
I first looked at page 186 over a half-century ago; now it's my computer's screen saver. For my tenth birthday, Mama gave me a small black Bible and said, "Son, wherever you go, take it with you, and when you're … Read more
The Apple Of Your Eye
When I was growing up, I often heard the term, "the apple of my eye", usually from my grandmother, who used it for all twenty-two of her grandchildren. We don't hear it so much these days, which is a pity, … Read more
We Never Know
As I was reading the Scriptures the other day, I heard the dog door open and someone come in. Sharing my home with eight dogs and five cats, I never know just who that someone may be until they come … Read more
Become A Rattlesnake
An old martial arts saying was passed around: "If you are going to have to go into a den of rattlesnakes, become a rattlesnake." The rattlesnakes do not prey on each other; they attack others. This is just another way … Read more
Cheerful Giving
When I was at high school, I had a part-time job on an ice cream van. For four nights a week, I used to serve up cones, wafers, and popsicles to families all over the subdivisions where the van travelled. … Read more
A New Heart
With a new baby and a wreck of a house, I have a tendency to be focused on the job to be done: it is easy to do. Consequently, I am task-orientated, with a noticeable sense of satisfaction when a … Read more
Worship At Its Finest
The sky was the most elegant blue I have ever seen. Our church building is located just on the edge of our city, surrounded by trees and farmers' fields. As I looked down the road in the distance, I saw … Read more
Great Peace
I grew up in a time of peace, not war. I immigrated to my adopted country, and have lived here in war-free peace. In the early days of my renewed Christian life, I came across today's Scripture verse. The phrases … Read more
Prison Wall
I didn't know it at the time, but my name and telephone number were etched onto a wall inside a cell of the local police station. At some point, I must have helped someone in the Scottish town I was … Read more
"Please Mr. Custer"
How many of us like novelty tunes? Novelty tunes are funny songs. They were very popular when I was a teenager. We listened to such tunes as "The Purple People Eater", and "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini". … Read more
At A Distance
It was a beautiful spring Saturday morning — not a cloud in the sky. After a long and harsh winter, it was a welcome sight. After collecting a few dried-up leaves and some wayward recycling from the yard, I was … Read more
For God's Glory
When we are driving anywhere, whether on a short or a long trip, there are roadside signs and signals revealing important information, instructions, and directions: speed limits, slow, stop, give way, keep left, turn right to such and such, freeway … Read more
Food For Thought
There are some things that I really miss about not being in Scotland, even after all of these years. I get homesick for the people, the places, the scenery, and the songs. I long for the accents and traditions, the … Read more
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