The bulk of my elementary years were lived in the small northeastern town of Gurnee, Illinois. It’s tucked inland, a mere six miles or so from the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan. To say that the winters are cold there most likely will be an understatement. I’ve not known much that’s colder other than the winters in Minneapolis. Now, that’s cold! One of the benefits of long, cold winters that are often filled with gray, wet days, [...]
In March of 2020, a virus, known as COVID-19, invaded our country. It spread like a wildfire from town to town, city to city, and in no time – we all, as a nation, were frozen in our tracks. I’d driven one of two routes to get from home to work for over 25 years and all of a sudden that routine trip was null and void for who knew how long. The nation was closed. I’ll [...]
To my horror, about a month ago my husband hired a man to come and apply a tinted film to almost every window in our home. Practically, he had legitimate reasons and ones that I could not refute. But aesthetically, there was no way he could win the argument. I loathe the dark in the daytime. As a matter of fact, that was one of the things that caused me to fall in love with our little [...]
Several weeks ago I pulled a chair up to a table of young women who were lingering after our weekly Bible study class. I casually turned to my left and put my arm around this fragile, petite young lady. I didn’t know her. Quite frankly, I didn’t even know her name. Nevertheless, I asked her how she was doing. I knew that she was visiting a friend and was only going to be in town for a [...]
I like beautiful doors. Several years ago, I took this picture on the property of a Napa Valley Winery. I got to thinking about doors recently and how meaningful they really are. I mean think about it. They keep things out, keep things in, sometimes bad and sometimes good. But if they're there, there's bound to be something on the other side. Interestingly enough there are over 100 Bible verses about doors. Let me just give you [...]
If you ask someone to tell you what love means, I guess you could get as many answers as the times you asked the question. Right now, I’m thinking of one person who to me, defines the word love. Her name is Elaine. She is 28 years my senior. As I write this, she is waiting for Jesus to come and pick her up. Her time here, her exile, is almost over. I went to see her [...]
My niece recently sent me a picture of her eldest daughter. I’ve been held captive by it for a few weeks now trying to conclude all that it means to me. For some reason, it’s been speaking volumes, but I hadn’t been able to identify a single reason why. I forwarded it to a very dear friend of mine and asked the question, “What does this image say to you?” The only response “Pregnant pauses." I interpreted [...]
In December of 2008, I began a women’s Bible study at my church. I named it, Rock Steady Sisters. Essentially, the name represents the desires of my heart and of those who would care to join me in my Bible journey. Rock, representing the Triune God known to us by way of His Word; Steady, in that He never changes and can be fully trusted in all things in our lives; Sisters in that we are a [...]
Recently I had the great pleasure of visiting the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It offers thousands of acres of lush landscaping, an incredible variety of wild animals and the most beautiful birds and ducks I have ever seen. Had they not spent a boat load of money advertising themselves, few would know that tucked into the back hills of San Diego County is this amazing respite from the rat race of city living. What a treasure! [...]
I looked at the clock, again. I must have done it a half dozen times in the hour. It was just turning to 2 am. I’d been tossing and turning, thinking and stewing about a message I was preparing for an upcoming women’s event for our church. Finally, I just flipped over on my elbows and said “Lord? This is yours. I’ve prayed, I’ve read your Word, I’ve studied, and yet I still feel scrambled. I’m going [...]