When I was in high school, I worked in the toy department of a large department store. Twice a year, we prepared for an outside firm to take inventory. We worked with these teams to count every item on the shelves, and I do mean every item. We even included incomplete...
In 1967, the Beatles had a hit with their song, “All You Need is Love.” That song became a theme for the 60s and 70s. Love is all the world needed to solve its problems, or so the song claimed. About that time another refrain became popular: “God is love.” It’s one of...
How joyful are you feeling right now? Yes, joyful. Are you rejoicing this Christmas season? No? Not so happy about the long lines in the stores, the extra traffic on the road, the additional expenses resulting in more month left at the end of the money? But it’s...
There have been times in my life when I wished I had more peace. Ever felt that way…like you know God gives you peace, but sometimes you just don’t have enough? The problem with wishing for more peace is that it implies peace is a commodity – something we receive in...
If there’s one thing in short supply these days, it’s hope. Politicians promise, but fail to deliver on their promises. Family members make commitments, but disappoint us. Terrorists strike with seeming impunity. Jobs are scarce, money is tight, and the more we wish...
Happy Thanksgiving! Seems like everyone is saying it this week. The cashier at the supermarket, the mail carrier, the receptionist at the doctor’s office. Happy Thanksgiving! But what if this Thanksgiving day is not a happy one for you? You may have lost a loved one...
I’m never ready. Every year I turn the page on the calendar, and the holidays are suddenly staring me in the face. And every year I say the same thing: I’m not ready. Why not? It’s not as if the holiday season is a surprise when it arrives. Thanksgiving is always on...
I was never much of a numbers person. Words are more my thing. Lots and lots of words, if you ask my husband! Numbers…not so much. It’s one of the reasons I love to write. To be able to communicate using myriad combinations of a mere twenty-six letters is nothing...
Planner? Check! Calendar? Check! Schedule? Check! Lists? Check! As you might imagine from the above, I write things down, I plan ahead, and I have an orderly (and perhaps a bit compulsive) life. Spontaneity is not one of my strongest characteristics! But I’ve been...
Ghosts and witches. Jack-o’-lanterns and black cats. Scary masks and things that go bump in the night. Typical Halloween fare. So what’s so hallowed about Halloween? Hallowed is not a frequently used word these days. When something is hallowed, it is sacred or holy,...
The Secret to True Success ’Tis the season of graduations…and graduation speeches. And almost every speech will...
Waiting Fruitfully We’re a third of the way through 2022. A third of the way through my year of waiting. Each...
Auditing Christianity As the traditional school year winds down, the next month or two will find most students...