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...
Stewards of…Grace?
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...
Don’t Worry, Be Happy?
Who doesn’t want to be happy? The right to pursue happiness is even written in the United States’ Declaration of Independence. Then there’s the popular post floating around the internet. Perhaps you’ve read it… “Someone once said, "There comes a time in your life,...
Convictions, Preferences, and Disagreements
I’m a person of strong opinions. It’s rare that I don’t have an opinion on a subject – just ask my husband! Lately, though, I’ve been wondering about the art of disagreement. Without meaning to, I’ve come up against passions that run high and emotions that run deep on...
Time to Clean the Filters
Been thinking about filters this week. Our air conditioner started leaking on Saturday. In the house. The A/C technician – a friend - responded to my frantic call. Turns out there was nothing wrong with the system…that is, nothing that couldn’t be corrected by...
I Could Never…
Have you ever watched someone live with a terrible situation, and then said, “I could never do that”? I remember the words as if I had spoken them yesterday. My friend, Betty, was caring for her father-in-law during his terminal illness. He had moved in with them...
The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth
There’s a holiday for just about everything. In July alone, we have Teddy Bears’ Picnic Day (July 10), National Carousel Day (July 25), and Yellow Pig Day (July 17). But the one that gets me every year is the holiday that falls on July 7: National Tell the Truth Day....
How Green is Your Thumb?
I killed another plant today. Yes, another one. This one lived four weeks – a record. You see, I have a reputation with plants…and not a good one. I realized I had a problem when I walked through the plant department of a local store a few years ago with my husband....
Not My Father
(This is a repost from last Father's Day.) Few things are as heartrending as a father who betrays the trust of his children. Stories about children who have been physically and sexually abused are tragic. When the abuser is the child’s own father or a father figure,...
Are You FAT?
Weight has been a sensitive subject for me. I’ve been trying to lose the same twenty pounds for umpteen years. But that’s not what I’m referring to when I ask if you’re FAT… FAT is an acronym for Faithful, Available, and Teachable. Are you and I faithful? The virtue...
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