Out With The Old

Thomas and I crossed the restaurant to speak to a group of ladies, friends I hadn’t seen in several years. He clung to me bashfully, face against my shoulder, until one of the others used her experienced grandmother voice to draw him out. After that, he was all smiles and we all laughed at the …

Speaking From Experience

James and John were fishermen by trade, the rough and tumble sons of Zebedee. With these two, everything must have been a competition. Jesus chose them to be among his closest followers and nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder.” (Mark 3:17) Even before they were called out by the Christ, these boys must have been pretty …

Peace Be Still

I slept through Hurricane Hugo on the couch in my parents’ living room under an open window. A tree fell, missing my car by inches. The wind left our yard strewn with downed limbs and debris but I was completely unaware until morning. To this day, I love a storm. I’m grateful for shelter, of …

Small Talk

Thomas, who is turning one, has discovered whispering. It started with one of his counting books. When I noticed his attention waning by the number four, I whispered that particular rhyme and since then, each time I read or recite this book, he looks to me for the whispered lines. This week, in an attempt …

In An Instant

Just minutes ago, rain and heavy gray clouded the lake behind my house. Puddles stand on the drive and a seven foot king snake seeks shelter along the stonework under my covered porch. The thunder still rumbles in the distance but suddenly the gray gives way to glorious light. My granny would’ve said that the …

No Matter What

The battle of wills has begun in our house. My son is transitioning from baby to toddler and that means advances in many areas. He crawls and climbs. He’s so close to taking his first steps, and we’re working on communicating with words to get what he wants. He’s grown quite accustomed to simply grunting …

Whose Agenda?

Everyone has an agenda. You do. I do. Ultimately God does. Simply put, an agenda is a plan of things to be done or problems to be addressed. More to the point, it infers underlying intentions or motives. We all have them, even if we don’t recognize or acknowledge them ourselves. The Bible teaches that …