Handwritten letters have almost entirely disappeared, having been replaced by electronic communication. Invitations, with the exception of weddings, are more than likely texted nowadays. RSVP, when attached to an invitation, once meant the host expected to hear from you. A meal and a place at the table were being reserved in your name at the …
Feel The Heat
What does pure, unadulterated faith look like, the faith of a child that Jesus commended? I saw it in the face of my eighteen year old son and heard it in his voice, as we contemplated the possibility of brain surgery after eight years of tweaking and changing medications failed to stop his seizures. I …
Don’t Look At Me
Nobody ever believes me when I confess that when I was younger, I was painfully shy. I wanted to hide if anyone looked my direction, much less spoke to me and expected a reply. I preferred to blend into the crowd and watch from the sidelines. I’m not sure when that all changed, but I …
Walking Down Briers
When I received my cancer diagnosis and we found that I would need radiation and chemotherapy before having surgery to remove my tumor, my husband began walking with me and the Danes twice daily, weather-permitting, to keep my heart healthy for surgery. Our community has many well-groomed walking trails, but Paul began cutting a trail …
The Right Emojis
When my daughter and her husband were dating, they texted long distance while he was away at college during the week and visited on weekends. They both had Apple smartphones so they regularly used emojis in their messages, and not those manufactured using punctuation creatively. According to Siri Knowledge, emojis originated in Japan and are …
I Will Not Be Moved
Twelve. The number of homes I’ve occupied in my lifetime. Three before I was married and nine since. Half we’ve owned, half we’ve rented. Some of our moves have been from necessity but some have been our choice. All have been within the same state. In every location, I’ve felt secure, but not necessarily because …
Those God Foreknew
My second grandchild will be a girl. Her parents could hardly wait to find out! It was intended to be a surprise for Christmas and my son really did try to keep the secret. He made it a full twenty minutes of conversation before it slipped out! “Our little girl will be…” Only then he …
Star Light, Star Bright
When nights are cold and clear and the moon is waning, stars appear against the blackness like dots on my Light Bright when my baby brother got hold of it. One glance away from the brightest star are numberless smaller points of light. The longer you look, the more you see. I’ve never studied the …
Our Time To Speak
Later this week, my husband and I will attend candlelight worship on Christmas Eve. This service has been part of our thirty years married. The combination of carols, familiar Scripture readings, and sharing this time together with other believers is the perfect prelude to our family celebration on Christmas Day. Add our first grandchild and …
The When That Never Came
I remember my first Christmas married and before kids, my husband and I had big dreams for the future and very little money. We were both in school and working part time. I was an undergraduate in Accounting and he was in his second year of medical school. I worked as a teller at a …
A Fitting Reply 