Have you noticed we’re almost halfway through 2024? Time indeed passes quickly, especially as we age. But really — don’t the months seem to flip through the calendar faster than before? I’ve pondered the passage of time and the possibility of something unique happening. A verse in Matthew 24:22 reminds us how difficult the last …
“So . . . what can we do? How can we help them understand without preaching at them?” “Well . . . what if we write a book together and explain it in clear language, without any put downs?” And so we did. My son and I had this conversation in 2019, a few months …
As a life coach going through the certification process, I learned about the power of open-ended questions. If we ask the right questions, people will often figure out the source of the problem. They may even come up with the best solution all by themselves. In the past with various religious experiences, we were told …
‘Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines. Though the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food. Though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls . . . ’ (Habakkuk 3:17 Amplified). Sometimes we think …
A fist of fear pummeled my soul. I was startled by its intensity and for several moments — forgot to breathe. Started to feel dizzy. Finally gulped draughts of fresh air. Why the fear? A doctor visit was imminent. One of those visits that might be serious or only slightly serious — depending on the …
Throughout history, man’s inhumanity to man has manifested in various ways: the Trail of Tears, the Holocaust, and brutal executions such as crucifixion. We sometimes glorify the cross as a beautiful symbol. Symmetrical. A lovely collection of cross décor on our walls. Jewelry we wear to show what we believe. Decals on the car. But …
Perhaps it is the coming of winter that causes moments of reflection. Or the new journal I use to record my thoughts. Or the writer in me who MUST write in order to process life. Whatever the origin, my reflection turns to a time-honored quote. Samuel Taylor Coleridge reminds us how the Jews honored the …
So many people I know are stuck — waiting for an answer to prayer. The answer that will help them move forward or make a life-changing decision. Even a little boost to nudge them out of the rut. They have prayed, fasted, cried out to God and yet — nothing. The silence, the no-answer, seems …
During the sixth month of my pregnancy, I waddled outside. The June sunshine brightened my colorful zinnias, so I parked my lawn chair beside the garden and carefully arranged myself within its plastic womb. Six months. Three more to go. We had made it past the danger zone — those first 12 weeks when this …