• Internet Addiction - my story - Parenting

    Captivated

    You know I’ve written about internet addition… e-mail… group list mail addiction… AOL… Geocities… One-List… eGroups… screen addiction… information addiction… whatever could be looked up… early on: Ask Jeeves. Bling.  Ask him… ask him anything.  Then Yahoo, then Google… click, click, click… Bling.  You’ve got mail… Bling!  Click, click, click… Blogs! Bling!  Facebook. Bling! Pinterest. Bling! I write what I’m learning… I share what I see, what I experience, what God is teaching me.  You know; through a series of trials, disappointments and losses I was presented face to face with the reality that I was/am an internet addict.  By…

  • Faith - Life in Laodicea

    It’s easy to forget some things.

    It’s easy to forget some things — many things — really. It’s especially easy to forget things in a moment of panic, in the tyranny of the urgent or after a long span of time. Or, in an obituary. Or at a memorial service. I’m thinking you know what I mean.  Attending numerous funerals and memorial services through the years has kept this thought pretty fresh in my mind.  Time has a way of softening rough edges in some relationships — sharpening them in others — and has a way of distorting things when the accumulation of days, experiences and…

  • Devotionals

    A Diary of Private Prayer

    If, in addition to my Bible, I could keep only one of my devotional books, I think A Diary of Private Prayer (John Baillie) would likely be the one I would keep.  Through the years, this little volume has blessed me immensely, encouraged me tremendously, and has carried my thoughts to the Lord continually as each of the thirty-one morning and evening readings have seemed to me to be inspired each time by the Lord and has been used of Him to remind me of commitments dear to me.  As life seems to move more swiftly than ever before and…

  • Devotionals - Family - Womanhood

    Opportunities Come and Go

    I mull over this phrase from time to time as I consider the many opportunities I’ve had, the many opportunities I’ve botched and the many opportunities I’ve either missed or passed up through the years.  The missed and passed up opportunities have probably hounded me as much or more than the opportunities I’ve botched.  Usually, but not always, I’ve had or take a second opportunity to repair or at least attempt to make up for that botched opportunity and usually (but not always) things have turned out okay.  But still, it’s those occasions I missed or passed up — those…

  • Devotionals

    The day after…

    After the most glorious event in all of history took place, and the veil of the Temple was rent in two, and the Lord had risen just. as. He. said… a new day dawned.  And new days have been dawning ever since.  But! there will come a time when all the dawns will cease and the day will come when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.  And on that day the books will be opened…  and all the decisions that could’ve, should’ve, would’ve been made will be made known. Is your name written in…

  • Devotionals - Essays - Family

    Daffodils… an encouraging story

    A Story to bless you today: Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.”  I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead “I will come next Tuesday”, I promised a little reluctantly on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren. “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road…

  • Hawai'i - Slices of Life

    A Year Ago…

    A year ago… it was cold.  A year ago it was rainy and dark clouds loomed overhead when the drops weren’t falling.  I thought Springtime would never come as I looked out the chilly windows.  And though the willow tree had just begun to show signs of lacey spring-green leaves, it was hard to imagine the nearness of Springtime as I looked out at the leafless branches of the walnut, hazelnut, apple, pear and plum trees.    Today’s much the same. But as I mull this over, I have to also give thanks and praise to the LORD who only does…