Gaining a heart of wisdom
Part Four: Carols I Want My Grandchildren to Know Christmas baking here in the Morin compound involves eleven different recipes. Most of the goodies are either carried or mailed offsite, and having a generous supply on hand makes party food, unexpected guests, and random gifting quite stress-free—even enjoyable. But looking at the list at the… Continue reading Overcome Christmas Discouragement by Remembering Your Powerful Why
Part 1--Carols I Want My Grandchildren to Know Expectation and Christmas are long-time friends. Tantalizing gifts under a sparkling tree, anticipated gatherings with loved ones, seasonal parties, and special menus that happen only in December add to the expectational cocktail that has become North American Christmas. Taken in reasonable doses, this festive anticipation fuels a… Continue reading It’s Christmas Time! What Is Your Hope? What Are You Waiting For?
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Even in this season of the empty nest, I value its uncomplicated requirement of gathering with loved ones, preparing a meal featuring everyone's favorites, and cultivating a spirit of gratitude to carry throughout the year. Of course, that last one can be a little challenging, right? I keep catching myself… Continue reading Can I Really Persevere in Daily Gratitude as a Matter of Obedience?
Peacefully moving through a wedding and the reception that follows with four young children requires planning on the level of getting Hannibal over the Alps. Even so, we had almost made it through to the cutting of the cake and the socially acceptable early departure we had planned. My husband was making a second trip… Continue reading God Provides Abundant Grace for Grief that Lurks Beneath the Surface
We know from Scripture that Peter, Jesus's outspoken fisherman-turned-apostle, was married, and the tone of his second letter makes me wonder if he was also a parent. Step-by-step, Peter describes an incremental discipleship in which faith is supplemented "with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection,… Continue reading Embrace the Weighty Joy of Living a Reminding Life
I pushed the damp mop across the kitchen floor, knowing full well that I would be finding sticky spots on cupboard doors and drawer handles for days to come. The transformation of a bushel and a half of apples into smooth, pink applesauce is the work of a couple hours on my own. However, with… Continue reading What Does It Look Like to Serve Others as Jesus Served?
“Ouch!” I yelped as a two-year-old elbow made contact with my arthritic hip joint. The volume of my outburst left me feeling a little silly. After all, while unexpected, was the jolt of pain really that intense? Well, actually, it was, but certainly not painful enough to declare my lap off limits to my squirrely,… Continue reading Holding on by Heart: Is Loving Really Worth the Risk?
"Can you teach me how to make biscuits, Bam?" Blue eyes smiled the question with guarded hope, because even five-year-olds recognize the potential of no. Then, with feet firmly planted on the step stool, she measured and mixed while I coached and advised: "Mix in the shortening till all you can see is crumbs all… Continue reading The Positive Impact of Proximity: Stay Close to Your People and Rise Together
The Lord's Prayer is an excellent example of our tendency to stop hearing the familiar parts of the Bible. The notion that "I know what this says" sends us racing through a passage without stopping to be amazed, but if you think of God as your Father in Heaven, you have Jesus to thank, for… Continue reading What Does It Mean to Pray to God as a Loving Father?
When I was in college, my mother would mail small packages filled with improbable gifts. Her favorite was soap. Apparently, she believed there was none available in northeast Georgia, so she would, from her meager income, purchase soap and then pay for the postage to ship it to me. Invariably, she would also send cookies… Continue reading Three Gifts We Can Give to Our Adult Children this Mother’s Day
Living Our Days 