Mother’s Day is over, but for some, the emotions –happy or sad – linger. I recently spent some time with a young friend who is struggling with her role in the family and in the Church. Her feelings were exacerbated by the calendar – Mother’s Day happened to be the...


Who Needs a Crutch?
I’ve been thinking about crutches lately. Maybe it’s because my Bible class recently finished studying the account of Jacob in the book of Genesis. After he wrestled with God, Jacob was left with a limp. I wonder, did he require the use of a crutch after that...
An Improvement … or Not?
Have you noticed the new trend in cleansers? Laundry and dish detergents are new and improved. Again. Now they’ve morphed from powders to liquids to gels to…pods. No more measuring and spilling. No more worrying if we’re using too much or too little. No more straining...
How Do You Handle Disappointment?
New year. New possibilities. Good thing, too, because many of us look back on various events in the old year and say, “Good riddance!” Still, despite the “Happy New Year” greetings, disappointments will follow us into the new year, too. So what do we do with them? For...
Spirituality or Christianity?
I was thirteen years old when a friend invited me to her youth group. It was there I first learned the difference between religion and relationship in describing Christianity. That was also the year I read Fritz Ridenour’s book, How to be a Christian without Being...
Success or Failure?
Success and failure used to be easy to measure. In school, you either passed or failed based on clearly established grading standards. In manufacturing, success is determined by output. Even in finance, successful deals are measured by profit. But when you write for...
The Good Old Days
We’re good friends with someone from my husband’s days in the Army, more years ago than we’d like to remember. This friend is great about keeping all the guys connected, passing along good news (and sad), and organizing reunions. The guys often talk about the good old...
Empty Clouds
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Dark clouds floated along the horizon, inching toward me. Someone was getting rain. An hour later, the sky cleared. The rain had bypassed us once again. After a prolonged dry season, sunny south Florida needs rain. Not the tease of a...
Role Models
Sports fans are well-known for unfailing loyalty to their teams. Players come and players go, but for better or worse, true fans stay faithful. Until now. Until Tebow. Tim Tebow is more than just a football player. He’s a phenomenon. Fans flock to him. And now that...
Beware the Ides of March
The older I get, the more sensitive I am to the passing of time. Today is March 15. Halfway through the month. As I pull out my calendar, I mentally scroll through my schedule for the rest of this month. Things to do, places to go, people to see. Still, March 15th is...
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