I got up this morning with a craving to clear out the girls' dressers and closets and to send a bunch of clothing to the Salvation Army. Only Alyson was witness to this, and she shed a few tears to see some clothes go the way of the black … Read more
Search Results for: "Psalm 139:"
The Beauty Beneath
Years ago, I ran across a framed certificate of recognition that I had been given a year or so before by my congregation for my leadership of the Youth Group. As soon as I turned it over, I remembered why it was stored away in a box … Read more
The Conversation
Bonnie and Kayley were at it again. What they were talking about I don't know, but I could hear them plainly, and it was plainly getting on my nerves. My two collies have their own language. All collies, it seems are talkers. When I speak … Read more
Disconnected
One late evening a couple of years ago, I was playing a word game on my phone as I usually do. In those days, I would put my phone on airplane mode so that I wouldn't get ads while playing the game. I rarely got phone calls at that time of … Read more
Extraterrestrial Intelligence
I love studying living things, and I was privileged to have a career in biological research. I used microscopes and microsurgery to examine the structure and function of organs in tiny critters, like insects and wood lice, and I was … Read more
The Ticket
I caught my breath just a little as I pulled out of my mailbox an envelope with a Portland Bureau of Transportation return address. Opening the letter, I was chagrined to find a citation for speeding. Over my many years of driving, I have … Read more
The Special Brush
Having eight dogs requires a lot of regular upkeep to ensure that my little house is always neat, tidy, and clean. I therefore wipe down my floors and vacuum each day. It may sound like a lot, but in reality, it takes me only twenty to … Read more
It's All In How You See It
It was early one morning when the four kittens — two black and two calico — made their presence known to us. I was peeking outside the window that overlooks our side yard when I saw them. They were following a larger grey cat out from … Read more
Soul Surgery
I have undergone a few surgeries in my life, for my foot and knees, and even had my tonsils out when I was ten. I learned a lot along the way about the body's complexities. I have learned the truth of what the psalmist declares, that we … Read more
Do You Believe In Miracles?
It was a beautiful spring afternoon in early May when our Protector and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, came along with my friend and I for a walk. Of course, we were unaware of His presence, but God watches over us 24/7. Frances, my … Read more
The Interested Party
Earl, my kitten, is interested in everything I am doing, everywhere that I am. He silently perches on a shelf above my baking counter and watches me avidly as I prepare meals and baked goods. He quietly sits high atop the bathroom door so … Read more
Coffee Conversations
Sharon Lundquist and I married brothers and have been dear friends for most of our adult lives. I sometimes say that we are sisters-in-love as well as sisters-in-law. For many years, we have lived in the same greater metropolitan area, but … Read more
Teach Your Children And Grandchildren
Our grandchildren come in all shapes and sizes, each with a distinct personality. While some are quiet and rather soft-spoken, others are bigger than life. We know that love has come to visit whenever they eagerly tap on our door. They … Read more
How To Get To Know Who We Are
I helped my husband write his resumé when he applied for a job — and he got it, over 100 other applicants! I thought that I could do the same for others, so I advertised. My first client said that she was a teacher and needed a resumé … Read more
The Right Focus
"One, two, three, eyes on me!" I would sing to my Grade One class. I needed to get their attention at the beginning of the lesson to give them instructions and to start teaching them. If they were noisy or if they had wandered from the … Read more
The Broken Glass
Recently, I received a commission for a piece of stained glass. At a friend's home, a gentleman had seen a glass that I had created a number of years previously, and he contacted me to see if I would consider doing a similar scene for … Read more
No Disconnect
"I'm supposed to bring a plate to the hockey banquet next week," my young son announced. "Bring a plate? What do you mean, Stephen?" I asked him, perplexed. "That's what the coach said." I wasn't familiar with the idiom "bring a plate", … Read more
God, The Ultimate Judge
At some point, it is likely that we have all heard this sentence: "My conscience is clear." We may have even said it ourselves. While we need to have a clear conscience, the sensitivity and integrity of individual consciences are very … Read more
Wrong House
Back in the early 1960s, I often took on odd jobs in Portland, Oregon, USA, where I was a student. One day, my assignment was at an address in an affluent suburb. The door would be unlocked — those were innocent days. I was to tidy the … Read more
Day And Night
These days, there are few daylight hours. Here in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, at latitude 52 degrees, 16 minutes north, on the winter solstice, December 21st, the shortest day of the year, there were 7 hours and 41 minutes of daylight. That … Read more
Fearfully And Wonderfully Made
"You have a very short frenum," the dentist announced as she removed her hands from my mouth. "A what?" "A frenum. It's the piece of soft tissue that runs in a thin vertical line between the lips and the gums. I have a long one, which … Read more
The Quilt Of Life
Only A Little Town
I grew up in a small town, and even though I have lived in a big city most of my life, I still claim Mossyrock, Washington, USA, as my hometown. There were 32 of us in my high school graduating class, and none of us would be too … Read more
Give Us This Day…
At the start of the pandemic, much caught us by surprise. The stores ran out of any and every kind of sanitizer; there was no PPE to be found. Did we even know what PPE was? We were told not to "speak moistly", to wear a mask, and to … Read more
He Knows My Name
For the first two weeks of my life, I was not called Alice, my present name. My parents were trying out the name Helen. They must not have been sure about it, because there was no definite mention of a name in the early letters to my … Read more
The Laundry Room Door
Fortunately for me, the lock on the outside of the laundry room door is high enough that my two little granddaughters can't yet reach it, because if they could lock it, I couldn't get out! They love nothing better than to run and shut the … Read more
What Would Jesus Do?
Hurricane Zeta was less than 24 hours away from the small Mississippi town of Lucedale. The people didn't know it yet, but Zeta would bring Katrina-like destruction in the next few days. The town's population rushed to secure their … Read more
A Hole In My Heart
My older brother and I shared a common bit of philosophy. We agreed that any years granted us beyond a certain given age would simply be icing on the cake, and death at any point thereafter should not be viewed as a great tragedy. We felt … Read more