Each morning I walk around our yard and garden to pray, to sing and to see the changes, the growth and produce each day brings. And then each evening seems to be the time I walk around our yard and garden in much the same manner… only the mood and thoughts are different — it seems to have become a time to reflect on the changes of the day and make plans for the next. Lately, the changes of the days almost feel like an assault to my senses as I realize that Autumn’s in the air… I can smell…
-
-
This is “part two” of the previous post by the same name — you can read it here. The reason I’ve entitled this and the previous post: Untangling the wwWeb is bcz it truly is a tangling or entangling web. Now, what I hope is understood here is that the web or internet or electronic communication is not the enemy — it’s not all bad. In fact, I readily admit that it’s a profoundly invaluable tool. But tools are just that: tools. We utilize tools — and the right tools help us accomplish tasks much more efficiently than were we…
-
Untangling from an internet bound life is sort of like limiting coffee consumption (but worse. so much worse). You might not even know you’re addicted to caffeine until you attempt to go without it for a day — or, okay, a morning without it. And then, if you’re addicted, you know it. You really know it. Your pounding headache constantly reminds you. It’s hard. It’s actually painful — very painful — at first… and then, enduring the pain, you see a few days pass and the pain diminishes. You may have given up or reduced your coffee consumption but…
-
When the day of my turning point came, I wouldn’t have been more stunned had a wrecking ball come swinging into my kitchen window. I’m now not so sure if it was the actual event or the combination of that and a heartrending revelation and my subsequent overwhelming grief that I’d squandered precious time — for years — reading, searching, creating, writing, researching… on the computer. Good things… so many good things. There is a silver lining… Lord has opened His Word to me in many new ways. I want to be careful not to exceed the context or intent…
-
I thought I’d sort of continue on from where I left off yesterday (and then life goes on). Things happen; usually a bunch of things have to happen in order to arrest our attention – unless someone yells, Fire! or someone comes in bloody or the phone rings in the middle of the night. Those things get out attention. Unfortunately, there are a whole bunch of other things happening (and not happening) that don’t get out attention — at least not until some crisis happens. Even then, we may address the interruption and move on… never seeing — really seeing…
-
In the midst of a transition, it’s really hard sometimes to see that things are ever going to change — be any different — than they are today. It’s hard to see past today sometimes. Well, actually, it’s hard to see past the moment sometimes. I’ve found this to be true so many times — and, like most things that happen to me, I learn that they are, or have been, happening to others as well. Trouble is, most of the time, we’re too isolated (or proud) to confess where we are or what we’ve done — especially if it’s…
-
The symphony of birds, buds and blossoms along with the soft greens seem to sing, Springtime’s here; another season’s underway! With the passing of time, the Lord is teaching me to savour the moments, to watch for the signs of the seasons. I can’t really recall if , or what, I’ve written much about the passage of a season that taught me this, but it was the slow dawning of the reality that the childbearing season was slipping away that first began to teach me to savour the moments. I think I’ve told you how (early on) women–mothers–would tell me,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Another birthday for one of our children. Another day to reflect on the many blessings, provisions and calling of the Lord on this son’s life — the golden child, the brothers and sisters call him. We all have a smile when someone says this or refers to him in this manner. They all know they are — each one to me — a golden child, though they’d insist he is the golden child. ~smile~ So another year, another birthday… another celebration that doesn’t look like one here tonight. We’ll make up for it when he returns from Africa in…