There’s something heart-warming about giving or receiving a Thank You. When someone tells us thank you, we feel acknowledged, affirmed, and appreciated. We’re encouraged to go the extra mile, to keep on truckin’, and to persevere through inconveniences. When we tell...
It’s only November 2nd, but I’ve been playing Christmas carols for a few weeks. And I’m looking forward to the start of the Hallmark channel Christmas movie weekend marathon that will begin this Friday. Yup, I’m one of those people. 😳 Hi, my name is Ava and I’m a...
We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Another prediction for the end of the world has passed, unfulfilled. For some, it wasn't even a question. For others, it just proved that the real end will come in 2012. The end of the world seems to be an increasingly popular...
This past summer, I wrote a blog post about Convictions, Preferences, and Disagreements. I mentioned my concern that regardless of the topic, the art of civil disagreement in our culture has been replaced with uncontrolled vitriol. This week, Jim Daly, President of...
A television station is running a marathon of episodes from a 1960s television program called “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The airings are in honor of the 50th anniversary of the series. It’s fun to watch old programs that chronicled a simpler time, when valuing faith...
You’d think I’d learn by now. I mean, how many times do I have to experience the same lesson before I get it? Five years ago, I heard what no woman wants to hear from her doctor. “The radiologist reviewed your mammogram and has recommended additional pictures.” As I...
Autumn is here. Splashes of red, orange, and gold punctuating a green canopy. Falling leaves blanketing lawns. A nip in the air and hot apple cider on the stove (or in the microwave!). Sweaters and scarves become go-to accessories. Or not. Here in south Florida, the...
Are people with religious convictions the only ones who live by faith? Some say that’s a no-brainer. The answer is yes, and by the way, anyone with religious faith has no brains. That’s one answer. But the fact remains that every single person on the face of the earth...
Cleaned out my bookshelves the other day (to make room for more books!) and came across a little paperback that’s been around for twenty-five years: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things, by Robert Fulghum. Here are a...
I’ve been thinking lately about stewardship. That’s not a word we use much in our culture anymore. It’s one of those words that seems to have fallen out of favor. Most people haven’t noticed. But maybe we should notice. A steward is someone who has the responsibility...
I Don’t Want To . . . The one word you never have to teach a toddler is “no.” And the one phrase you don’t have...
Fences, Walls, or Guardrails? I’ve been thinking lately about fences, walls, and guardrails, and the way we can...
The Limbo Dance of Life: Bend or Break? Almost no one dances the Limbo anymore. But in life? These days life is...