I have always loved a good book, and this summer I read several. But, even if you are not an avid reader of literature, I want you to read this blog post to the end. Or, if necessary, skip to the end because that last paragraph is for everyone! Before I went on vacation, I […]
Civilla Martin wrote the lyrics in 1905, and the hymn, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, has been sung in every church since. She wrote the song because of two people she called “saints of God.” Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for almost twenty years, and her husband went to and from his business in […]
That’s the question that kept my mind busy the other morning. I hadn’t slept well because I’d woken up several times and thought about the people stranded by Hurricane Harvey. The next day, as I walked through the neighborhood, I found myself worrying about the people involved and the financial cost to Houston, to our […]
Years ago, a friend made a plaque for me that I have found to be pure wisdom. It reads: “Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms his child.” That plaque has come to mind often as I’ve watched the news coverage of the Houston floods. I know God is […]
Jim and I recently spent two weeks cruising the Baltic Sea and seeing things I had only read about before. History becomes very real when you stand in front of a glass case and look at a letter Martin Luther wrote to a church in Estonia, stand on markers that indicate where the Berlin Wall […]
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). (The children of the sixties will be humming the song, Turn, Turn, Turn by the Byrds for the rest of the day!) I’ve finished my summer writing projects and I need a break. So, this will be my last […]
It’s the middle of July in Dallas, Texas, and I’m writing this year’s Advent book for our ministry. It takes a little creative thinking to “get my fa-la-la on” when it is one hundred degrees outside. (And that’s in the shade!) Thankfully the Hallmark Channel is celebrating “Christmas in July” and I’ve taped a few […]
I pointed to my friend’s arm and asked where her scratches had come from. Her response: “Grace.” Grace is her new puppy who doesn’t always teethe on a chew toy. Believe it or not, that prompted this blog post! I love the puppy’s name because at this point it seems wildly incorrect. That is what […]
The dictionary defines patriotism as: “an intense devotion to one’s country.” The Fourth of July is a day to remember and celebrate the fact we are blessed to live in a great country. America isn’t perfect, but it is home. Our president was elected with his message about “making America great again.” Practically, what would […]
The timing of The Book of Henry was an opportunity to say something that has been simmering in my thoughts lately. When I saw the trailer for this movie I remember thinking, “Is this really the justice system Hollywood wants to promote?” Then, the shooting in Virginia occurred, and I’ve waited for someone on the […]