Soft, pliable dough squishes through my fingers as I massage it into a round ball. Pleasure sings in my heart as I sense the smoothness of it under my rolling pin. Using the right amount of pressure, I stretch the elastic mass at different angles, slowly forming it into a circle. I drape the unwrinkled … Continue reading Perfection
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Four-letter Words
Obedience is not a four-letter word. For many of us, however, it has the same connotations as those well-known derogatory ones, and submission is right there with it. I was quiet and obedient, as a child, with a rebellious heart. I followed the rules but inside I chafed and grumbled. Mostly inside. As an adult, … Continue reading Four-letter Words
Schoolyard Angst
September. Back to school. My first experience with school was when I was five. There was no kindergarten where we lived, and so my mom, being my mom and the mother of seven children, pushed to have me put in grade one. As a result, I found myself on a hard, cold seat in a … Continue reading Schoolyard Angst
Perfect Power
I was struggling, and sleep eluded me. My mind was whirling with the scenario on repeat in my brain. My insides were in knots, and a heaviness sat on my chest. I felt misunderstood, hurt, and unloved. Sinful thoughts and desires rose up in my heart for self-glory and justification. I knew my thoughts and … Continue reading Perfect Power
Wallflower or Showpiece?
Are you a wallflower that longs to be more? Is God calling you to be a wallflower who steps out in faith? Are you willing to be the flower that God has called you to be, designed you to be, a greenhouse flower? Most of my life I have lived as a wallflower and still … Continue reading Wallflower or Showpiece?
A Sea of Faces
My husband and I recently had the privilege to go on an Alaskan cruise. Our ship churned its way over mind-boggling, vast, and deep expanses of ocean water. Whales forty feet long and forty tons in weight swam nearby, looking small in comparison. A seemingly endless array of mountains of varying heights lined the coast … Continue reading A Sea of Faces
Transference 2
A few weeks ago, I wrote about envisioning and touching a homeless person. Imagine with me, meeting a homeless man or woman. Their hair is matted and filthy. Lice are crawling through it and onto their forehead. Their clothes smell of feces and urine. Sores are evident on their grime-covered skin and you are sure … Continue reading Transference 2
A Trifling Matter?
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?
Golden Stalks or Dark Clouds?
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?
Happy Heart Day
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