“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
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
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
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
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:...a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;..." Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 NKJV Grief is a strange beast that attacks each of us at some point and time in our life and the effects are … Continue reading Parting is…..
"In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."Ephesians 1:7 NIV Forgiveness, can it be, that you have truly forgiven me? Unworthy, full of shame. kneeling before you, broken, in pain. Repentance, in my soul, knowing I've fallen away from you. Desiring, in my … Continue reading Forgiveness
When I was growing up the word grace meant a few different things to me; a prayer we said before meals, the name of a girl, a way of moving (which I never mastered by the way), or a period of time given to finish an assignment or pay a bill. Then there is God's … Continue reading By the Grace of God
The other day my husband and I were talking about some celebrity and he said they thought they were "all that and a bag of chips!". We laughed and shook our heads. Afterward though, I began to think that we are all guilty of that attitude at times. Thinking we are better or more than … Continue reading All That and a Bag of Chips
Supper was finished and dishes done. It was a cold, dark wintry night but seemed so safe and warm in our home. My husband and I were settling in for a quiet evening when the phone rang. It was our son. He wanted to talk to both of us so I got on the extension. … Continue reading The God Who Stays
Well Living 