I have always loved Christmas. For me, as a child, it was a magical time. Lights, presents, caroling, friends, shows, music, family… all of it, just made me feel warm and fuzzy. As I grew up, I continued to love the warm and fuzzy parts of the season and tried to pass them along to … Continue reading Warm and Fuzzy Christmas
Inspiration
To the Musicians…
Recently, I gave a compliment to some musicians after an entertaining holiday performance. The response I got back was “Thanks for letting us know the effort means something.” It inspired me to write this blog because I think sometimes we forget to tell them how much we love what they do. I once heard that … Continue reading To the Musicians…
Dear Friends and Family
I have been doing dementia research this week; not really, but it seems that way. There have been two excellent dementia awareness events near me that I attended with my family. If you know my dad at all, you know he is a bulldog. It is why he was such a successful business man. He … Continue reading Dear Friends and Family
The One
In Ethiopia, our host Glenda, did a devotional time each morning before we went out. She has amazing insight into scripture and her time with us was always in preparation for what we would be doing. One day, when we were going out into the village to visit widows and orphans, she talked about how … Continue reading The One
The Widows and the Orphans
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress. James 1:27 The ministry we partnered with, HopEthiopia, uses James 1:27 as the core scripture on which their vision is built. Rather than an institutionalized orphanage, they have what is called a Children’s Village on their property. The … Continue reading The Widows and the Orphans
We Choose Healing
Eighteen years ago, our country was violated by Fear. The rape was brutal and violent and caught us completely off guard. In the court of public opinion, some said we deserved it by the way we were acting. Others chimed in that we were pitiful and too stupid to understand the signs. As is common … Continue reading We Choose Healing
A Near Miss
The bottom fell out. Rain was coming so hard and so fast my windshield wipers on high couldn’t keep up. I slowed to a crawl, as did all the cars around me…except one. I imagine the driver had someplace to be. I could feel the frustration radiating from the pickup in the stops and starts. … Continue reading A Near Miss
Choose Love
I am a bit of a romantic, always have been. I suppose you could call me a sappy sentimental. I cry at commercials, and despite the cheesy storylines, I love Hallmark movies. They are completely unrealistic, totally predictable, and border on silly, but I love them anyway. The romance of new love is all about … Continue reading Choose Love
Dot-to-dots
Do you remember dot-to-dots? For those of you who are younger, a dot-to-dot is a hidden picture which is exposed when one uses a pencil to connect numbered dots, in order. I always loved dot to dots. They were part puzzle, part mystery, and part art. On the more complicated ones, it could be difficult … Continue reading Dot-to-dots
Freedom
I have a different view of freedom these days. Before, I rarely travelled outside the US, and when I did, it was to tourist destinations. Now, I have been to countries where freedom is spoken, but not lived out. My navy-blue passport allows me access to places where others cannot move about freely. That alone was … Continue reading Freedom