Everyone has a favorite piece of relationship advice. In honor of my 34th wedding anniversary coming up in a few days, I thought I’d share a few relationship quotes: “No matter how long you have been waiting, the man God has for you will surpass your expectations. You...
This is Not Our Home
Three of my friends lost their mother this past weekend. Three times in two days, I received a message saying John or Pat or Sonia’s mother died. These three losses remind me that death cuts through all the things we think are important, and bares what is truly...
Meet the Tates
Have you heard of the Tate family? They can be found in almost every organization… Dic Tate wants to run everything. Ro Tate tries to change everything. Agi Tate stirs up trouble whenever possible. Irri Tate always lends him a hand. Hesi Tate and Vegi Tate pour cold...
Who Do You Remember?
Quick – who was the winner of the: - 2010 Nobel Peace Prize? - 2009 Miss America pageant? - 2008 summer Olympics archery gold medal? Now identify: - the high school teacher who motivated you to be your best? - the Sunday school...
Whatever Happened to Civility?
During this past week, I either watched or learned of the following: A friend’s husband removed political bumper stickers from the family car because of safety concerns for his wife and children. A politically active local group is seeking to have a newspaper...
Make a Difference
Do you ever get discouraged at how problematic the world has become? Does your heart sink at the avalanche of troubles burying you, your family, or your friends? That even if you wanted to help, you wouldn’t know where to begin? I love the story, ascribed to Loren...
The Power of a Thank You
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...
Marriage Boundaries
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...
Kindergarten Lessons
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...
Receive Ava’s weekly blog
posts & occasional
newsletters in your inbox!
You May Also Like
A New Perspective
A New Perspective Vision problems can be scary. One friend’s husband may be facing a diagnosis of macular...
Paper Cuts, BAND-AIDS, & People
Paper Cuts, Band-aids, & People It was just a paper cut. And boy, did it hurt. Not a huge problem, though....
Perception of Christianity in One Word
Perception of Christianity in One Word This is the time of year when “one-word” posts begin appearing. You may...


