November. Leaves of red, lime-green, orange and burnished gold drop in blowing clusters outside my window. It is a visual feast for my eyes, but the underlying awareness that it is November dampens the pleasure and brings trepidation. Thanksgiving looms for my American friends and Christmas for us all. The word November brings the visual … Continue reading What Does Faithfulness Look Like?
I love puzzles. All kinds of puzzles. The challenge of figuring out the answer draws me like a lure on a fishing line. As cooler weather creeps in, I get excited about starting a new jigsaw puzzle. I have been doing them as long as I can remember. For some people, it causes anxiety, but … Continue reading Are You Puzzled by Chaos?
The LORD is the Lover of my soul. I have grown to know and love him because he first loved me and extended his grace through the Holy Spirit to me. But what have I learned about the Lord that causes me to increasingly love him? Let’s look at who the LORD is—his character and … Continue reading Why Do I Love Thee?
Are you in a season of waiting? Do you feel like a dry, withered stick, tired of waiting for the promised blooms to bud again? A dear friend gave me a beautiful orchid after I lost my mom four years ago. It had not flowered since. I watered, fertilized, tried different lighting, and talked to … Continue reading Hope Deferred
John 14:15-24 Some days, life feels overwhelming and like it is all up to you. The burdens of responsibility and busyness sap your strength and drain your soul. Loneliness settles in like a weighted blanket. How can I do it all? I’m dancing as fast as I can, and there’s still so much to do. … Continue reading Do You Feel Alone?
I gazed down, enraptured, at the picture book. The children were trying to bathe Mr. Muggs, but he wasn’t cooperating. Soapy water flew everywhere as he jumped out and began to shake. I loved this book. Many hours had passed perusing it with either my mom or one of my siblings. But this time was … Continue reading Eyes Wide Open
Suffering is hard. Watching someone you love suffer is also. Are you carrying a second-hand burden? Are you trying your best to ease your loved one’s suffering and smooth out their path? Does it feel like you are caught in strong spiderwebs? You ache to relieve their pain, help them walk, sit or lie down … Continue reading Second-Hand Burden
Jesus didn’t come only to sacrifice himself, but to show us how to live a life that gradually leads to holiness, and that includes prayer. This is an excerpt from Paul Miller’s book, A Praying Life, which shows what Psalm 23 without the Lord or the Shepherd reads like: my; I shall not be in … Continue reading Hi Dad -Part Three
Do you compare the lives of women around you to yours and wonder where you went wrong? Their homes belong on the cover of Home and Garden; they appear perfectly put together, energetic and organized, and the family seems happy, wholesome, and successful. They are like King Midas and everything they touch seems to … Continue reading Restored Reflections
Gray days are not my favourite. They have a heaviness, like wearing a weighted blanket all day. They lack spark and I long impatiently for the light to blaze again. However, gray days provide a backdrop, allowing the beauty of nature to pop. Dark greens of the drooping fir, vibrant burgundy of the red maple … Continue reading Gloomy Days