Imagine with me, meeting a homeless man or woman. Matted, filthy hair covers their head. Lice are crawling through it and onto their forehead. The odour of feces and urine emanates from their tattered clothing. Open, oozing sores are evident on their grime-covered skin and you are sure they carry something contagious. Flies crawl across … Continue reading Transference
Have you ever had someone forget your name? A friend of ours, when we first knew each other, was talking to his wife and couldn’t remember my name. Fumbling to remember it, he called me Tatiana. None of us know where it came from, but it stuck, and to this day, that is what they … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
Have you felt betrayed, left behind, forgotten and neglected? Sometimes we have. Or did the person we love make a choice when they weren’t thinking clearly? Did they forget to stop and think of us or not know we cared? Whatever the reason, our feelings take over our brains, and we entertain all kinds of … Continue reading Is There a Chink in Your Armour?
My husband and I recently watched a video series on RightNow Media led by Professor Shane Woods from Ozark Christian College. During one of these lessons, he mentioned he often got labelled one of three things because he sported long, red hair. People said he was either a hippie, homeless or a heretic. He laughed … Continue reading Hippie, Homeless, Heretic or Hero?
Trifle noun 1. a thing of little value or importance. 2. a cold dessert of sponge cake and fruit covered with layers of custard, jelly and cream. verb 1. Treat (someone or something) without seriousness or respect. Sibling rivalry is as old as Cain and Abel in the Bible. And while most … Continue reading A Trifling Matter?
What is your perspective? From the passenger seat of our car, a field of golden-coloured corn stalks caught my attention. Brightly standing out against the dark grey clouds hovering over them, I commented about their beauty to my husband. He, however, had focused on the threatening clouds and not noticed the cornstalks. Where our eyes … Continue reading Golden Stalks or Dark Clouds?
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!” Revelation 4:8b ESV The Lord was, the Lord is, and the Lord is coming again. Do you believe this? Don’t be quick to answer yes. We often respond too quickly to queries that require deep introspection. The LORD was. … Continue reading Was. Is. Coming.
Valentine’s day began as the remembrance of the martyrdom of St. Valentine for his faith. Over the centuries, it has morphed into a celebration of love - romantic love. Like Christmas, an entire business has developed around it. Chocolates, flowers, diamonds, etc. and, of course, dinner out. This day has become a big deal for … Continue reading Happy Heart Day
Life goes on. The pain eases slightly with time. The days feel normal and we get busy with them. Then certain things remind us, like a date, the day they left. Emotions and memories, forgotten in the day-to-day, flood our hearts and minds and the pain returns; we feel the loss again. In this pain … Continue reading Remember Me
Our family has just gone through an extended period of gift-giving. Over the past three weeks, we have celebrated four birthdays and Christmas. All that baking and wrapping has worn my fingers out. We feasted and gave lots of splendid gifts to each other with smiles, exclamations and lit-up faces. What is the greatest gift … Continue reading Greatest Gift
January. It is the renowned month of fresh starts, new resolutions, hopes and dreams. My January started with the making of one birthday cake and two more looming on the horizon, our television seizing up and watching our firstborn drive off to his home, eight hours away. While these things are not terrible, they are … Continue reading Fresh Starts, New Starts
So here we are, a few days away from Christmas day. The stress is rising, fatigue deepening, and frustration mounting as we wonder how we will get it all done. Today, let’s take a deep breath, close our eyes and repeat to ourselves, “I don’t have to do it all.” We can easily get caught … Continue reading Advent – Week 5
“For God so loved the world…” John 3:16 NIV Most of us get a thrill out of giving gifts to those who are precious to us. Our hearts look forward to blessing them with something that will make them smile, comfort them, or help them. God made us in His image. Therefore, it stands to … Continue reading Advent – Week 4
“He was despised and rejected by men, A man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:3 NIV The faint sound of an infant’s cries, intermingled with the bleating of sheep, draws you toward the opening where the flickering of lantern light emits. The air, pungent with the lingering scent of animal waste, dampness and … Continue reading Advent – Week 3
“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12 NIV God is a God of humility. During Advent, we celebrate that Almighty God, who needs nothing and lacks nothing, humbled Himself to be born as a weak, helpless human baby. Not a … Continue reading Advent – Week 2
"and they will call him Immanuel" -which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23 NIV For the next few weeks, I will be doing a mini-devotional on the meaning and reason for celebrating Advent. In this first week, we will examine the word and its significance. Advent. A word we often hear at this time of … Continue reading Why Advent? – Week 1
So let us not grow weary of doing good; for if we don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest. Galatians 6:9 (CJB) Do you ever feel like giving up? Is your heart heavy and your body sapped of energy? Recently, I struggled with these feelings. An article I wrote did not … Continue reading Growing Weary
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, But my ears you have pierced; Psalm 40:6a NIV I guide the thin metal to the small hole and it slides smoothly to the opposite opening in the back of my earlobe. Quick and easy, I do it almost mindlessly, but I recall when I first got my … Continue reading Pierced Ears
The lush greenery and quiet brought calmness as I deeply inhaled. As I walked with my friend along the path, she pointed out different landmarks and the history of the land we walked. Pausing, she pointed out the high stump of a tree trunk near the shore of the stream that ran through the property. … Continue reading Tangled
Tears filled my eyes as I knelt on the floor in my office, heavy-hearted with frustration and a sense of failure. I had been earnestly praying for something for years, but nothing seemed to have changed. What’s the point, I thought. It seemed hopeless and I wondered if I was not praying right, frequent enough, … Continue reading Glimmers
Jesus wept. John 11:35 NKJV Her hair felt wrong. It was stiff and dry, not soft and supple like usual, as my fingers caressed it. The spirit who was my mother was gone. Unreachable. All that remained for me to touch and say goodbye to was this flaccid, lifeless shell. I was jolted awake by … Continue reading Mourning Grace
Pressure builds in my head, and it begins to ache. My chest tightens and my breathing becomes shallower. The answers to my husband become short, harsh, and increasingly louder. As my frustration, anxiety and irritation increase, muddled thinking sets in and I become confused then everything else revs up. The problem is I don’t trust … Continue reading GPS
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NIV Red hair framed my five-year-old granddaughter's sweet, lightly freckled face as she scrunched up her nose and shyly, softly responded to her dad’s prompt. “I love Jesus because he will make me alive again.” Joy … Continue reading Better Than Cupcakes
You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.Deuteronomy 13:4 NASB A wall of water rose before my frozen eyes, and my breath caught momentarily in my throat. The bottom of the river loomed below my feet, filling … Continue reading White Water
There was something odd about the camping trailer ahead of us. Something black was dancing underneath it like fingers across piano keys, trilling back and forth. As the distance between our vehicles closed, I realized it wasn’t underneath but on the back bumper. It was a row of fine black fibres closely strung together to … Continue reading Flying Stones
Stepping out the door, refreshment immediately washed over my soul. Sun caressed my face; the lilting music of birdsong lifted my spirit, and lush greenness soothed my eyes. Breathing deeply, my shoulders relaxed, my eyes closed, and peace flowed over me as I sat soaking it all in. I smiled. The love letter of our … Continue reading Love Letter
The click-clack of my winter boots on the tile floor echoed off the painted concrete walls. Thrumming filled my ears with every heartbeat, and butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach as I followed the postered and bulletin board-dotted hallway. Thirty-two years old and a mother of three, I had decided to go back … Continue reading Paths
Have you ever crawled between the crisp, smooth covers of your sheets, breathed a sigh of comfort at finally resting your tired bones on the cushiony softness of your mattress, only to lay there wondering where the past sixteen hours went? You envision your day, hour by hour, knowing you were busy but can’t understand … Continue reading Redeeming The Minutes
The sign over His head said it in three different languages. A mere twenty-four hours before, the people had proclaimed and wanted it. The leaders had feared it and plotted to stop it. What had happened? How did things change so quickly? Life can change in the blink of an eye. What looked like a … Continue reading King of the Jews
Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. John 4:6 NKJV This picture of Jesus’s humanity where scripture says He became weary, and when He did, He rested, encourages me. This was a divinely appointed rest. Christ had pushed Himself … Continue reading Well Sitting
It was a deliciously quiet and restive moment of reading in our usually hectic week when my husband and I were startled by a loud bang. Swivelling our necks in unison toward the row of family room windows, we saw a small object drop to the ground. Birds often fly into our large living room … Continue reading Precious
Have you ever been in a desert place? You know, when life feels dry, empty of joy or purpose. Seasons where day-to-day we go through the motions but feel lifeless inside. We still believe in God, but He appears to be distant. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Tucson, Arizona. As … Continue reading Desert Places
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:6-7 NIV With … Continue reading Cracked Jars
The decorations are all down and lovingly tucked away in their respective boxes. Walking into my restored living room, the ghost of my beautiful, twinkling, ornamented tree lingers in the corner of my eye and I sigh longingly. Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. Brightly coloured decorations and lights bring pleasure to … Continue reading That Christmas Feeling
Do you remember back in the mid-1980s when the Cabbage Patch doll came out? They became a huge success and I remember people lining up at Christmas frantic to 'adopt' one for their child. It became madness with people fighting each other for the last one on the shelf, stealing them from other people's carts … Continue reading Cabbage Patch Kid
Out of the pitch black of a hidden chamber, within the large cavern, the bristle-haired spindly legs slowly tapped out unseen by the young couple. The beam from their flashlight could not reach far enough to see the abnormally huge bulbous body that those legs dragged out behind them. As the giant radiation mutated black … Continue reading Shields Up!
The wooden deck creaks slightly beneath my deck chair. Reflected trees, sky and clouds shimmer on the smooth surface of the lake. A slight breeze whispers across its surface causing mild ripples that travel languidly to the shore. There is no splash in response, no sound of water lapping, just a visible representation of movement. … Continue reading Quiet Waters
Our blue van disappeared around the bend in the dirt road, with my family safe inside. The quiet of the clearing pressed in on me as it sunk in that I was all alone and defenceless. Looking at the flat tire on the tent trailer sitting behind me, I wondered how long it would take … Continue reading Black Fly Lies
"For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."Romans 8:20-21 Fireworks of colour explode amidst a landscape … Continue reading Fallen Leaves
I closed my phone after quickly scanning the text. Deep in thought, I slowly walked beside my husband as we followed after my two excited granddaughters running ahead toward the park climber. Surprise had been my first response to the note and slight confusion. But as I mulled on it, tears welled up in my … Continue reading Ridiculous Grace
My dear husband is a big fan of the Chicago Bears football team. So for his sixtieth birthday, I decided to surprise him with a weekend in Chicago and tickets to a game in Soldier Field. I was thrilled to find a deal on tickets. I booked a Boutique Hotel and purchased two train tickets … Continue reading Identity Theft
It was Christmas Eve, and I was excited our little family was going together to the evening service at church for the first time. After running around, making sure my three young, rambunctious boys were dressed in clean dress shirts and pants, I had taken time to preen myself, putting on makeup, jewelry, and my … Continue reading One Kind Word
My husband and I had just returned from visiting my Mom’s gravesite, and my heart felt heavy with loss. My eyes were focused on the gravel path, which crunched beneath our feet as we briskly moved along it. Suddenly, on bright red, wide-spread wings, a Cardinal swooped across in front of us and landed in … Continue reading Scented Cuts
In the well-known movie Galaxy Quest by Paramount Pictures, we frequently hear the spaceship Captain's motto, "never give up, never surrender!". And this is what I want to encourage you to do today. But first I want to tell you a story. The woman sat on a low wall of grey, cold, cement cinder blocks. Snow … Continue reading Never Give Up, Never Surrender
Above my desk in my office, there is a large window. It provides me with a beautiful view of God's creative hand, no matter the season. In that view are many different types of trees, but my favourite has always been the large oak which spread it's large branches across our driveway and right in … Continue reading The View
There is one thing we can count on in this world and that is change. Things, situations and people are always changing. Growing up in a family of ten, with one income, money was stretched so thin you could see through it! As a result the clothes I wore were often hand me down-downs, well … Continue reading Constant
Looking down at my desk, I see a pair of old hands resting there, looking back at me. They have finally arrived. I have anticipated them all my life. Through the years of watching my Momma's beautiful, magical hands wrinkle and morph, of holding, washing and caring for those of elderly patients, I knew it … Continue reading Today Is Enough
4:24 a.m. That is the time my watch blinks out in the dark, when I finally crack open one eye in defeat and give up trying to get back to sleep. I have tossed and turned for an hour battling racing, anxious thoughts about the future and the past, with prayer and memorized verses. Knowing, … Continue reading Weak
Chip, ugly, chip, hurt Chip, lazy, chip, remorse Chip, stupid, chip, pain Chip, less than, the chisel goes deep. Chip, loser, chip anger Chip fat, chip fear Chip, old, chip forgotten Chip, unwanted, scarred rock tossed aside. Drip, God, drip, mercy Drip, Jesus, drip, love Drip, Spirit, drip, Truth Drip, more than, living water smooths. … Continue reading Chisel and Water
Sisters, sisters, There were never such devoted sisters, Never had to have a chaperone, no sir. I'm here to keep my eye on her. Caring, sharing, Every little thing that we are wearing. When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome, She wore the dress and I stayed home. All kinds of weather, We stick together, … Continue reading Sisters, Sisters!
Well Living 