The first line of the email read: "Have you ever felt the weight of the world pressing in, drowning out the gentle whispers of God's love?" It was an email from a Christian clothing company, so I figured that it was some kind of pitch for … Read more

As I write this on August 14, 2023, it is our thirtieth wedding anniversary. Caroline has posted on Facebook a picture of us on our wedding day. Oh, how young we looked then! It has made me reflect upon our journey together over time. So … Read more

As I write this, I'm watching Mama Robin sit on her second clutch of eggs this summer. Her fussing over these eggs reminds me of my dad's fussing over those hundreds of goose eggs in the hatchery in our farmhouse basement. Each day, he'd … Read more

I was struck by an unusual sight one day as I walked by the kindergarten room. There was Sophia sitting in a little chair right in front of the gerbil cage, in a world of her own. The rest of the children had gone for the day, but for some … Read more

The year 2020 and COVID-19 have surely given me a new perspective on many things. Let's step back a bit to 2019. We had a family vacation, and I was able to visit family in California and in England. Those three events gave me memories … Read more

When I was pregnant with our first child, Jared, I read an article explaining that after babies are born, they recognize voices that they'd heard while in the womb. So for the next nine months, my husband Bob and I would talk to him, pray … Read more

People were thrilled when we finally got a much-needed dump of snow over a three-day period. It had been so cold and all our previous snow had melted during a warm period, leaving the ground exposed before the temperature dropped almost … Read more

Years ago, a friend from a small group Bible study showed me this verse: The phrase "take delight in you with gladness" haunted me. I wondered over and over how the Lord God takes delight in me with gladness. Recently, a face-to-face … Read more

Last winter, my daughter and I set out for one of our mother/daughter days. She wanted to get some pictures of some of the local waterfalls that were completely frozen over. We had a lovely morning; she got some great pictures; and we … Read more

I once heard Ron Mehl use as a sermon illustration a story told by Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, about a single missionary who served the Lord in China for many years. In 1948, all missionaries were expelled from the country … Read more

Perhaps you are familiar with this little song of praise and adoration to God: Lord, You are more precious than silver. Lord, You are more costly than gold. Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds, And nothing I desire compares to You. … Read more

If you were to find the photographs of kids and grandkids in my purse, you would also turn up an old postcard. Originally, it came inviting me to attend the ordination service of a student minister friend. The picture side … Read more

Fear has a way of taking root in our lives and then remaining there and rearing its ugly head at times and places in our life. Do you know people who, when they go into a coffee shop or restaurant, … Read more

I have recently found an old electric typewriter that our children learned to type on in our home school years ago. Because it is electric, one just has to touch the keys lightly and it types the letter. But if … 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

Recently, I took a trip with my daughter and her two little ones. They aren't used to travelling long distances, and so became very restless on the way there. They slept most of the way home. I was sitting beside … Read more

My hobbies include a vegetable and flower garden. The more I work in the garden, the more I appreciate the wonder of budding, blossoming, and bringing forth fruit. The stewardship of caring for the garden has become an exercise in … Read more

For the last two years, I've been the one to do the gardening. My husband had always done it in the past, but, because of work demands, he gave it over to me. Although I'm not nearly as good a … Read more