For the last two weeks I’ve challenged you to make 2023 the Year of The Word. The challenge originated from John 1:1 where it says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” My thought is, instead of aiming to improve
When our children were little, I planned vacations. I knew our budget was fixed and I wanted to pack in as much fun as possible. Consequently, I made sure we did something each person in the family would choose if he or she were in charge. I made the reservations,
Happy 2023! A new year with new beginnings. Many of you are writing out a list of resolutions and/or goals. Clearly, you intend to start the new year with purpose. Some of you have stubbornly refused to generate a list for fear of failure. Perhaps you are one of my
The countdown is on. We are less than a week away from Christmas morning. The next six days can easily be filled with a myriad of stresses and emotions. Several weeks ago, at the beginning of December, I heard Amy Grant’s song “I Need a Silent Night” on the radio
What comes to mind when I state: God wants to speak to you. Do you believe the statement to be true? Do you wonder why He wants to talk to you? Do you jump to the conclusion that you’ve done something wrong? Do you wish He would speak louder or
We are now living “the most wonderful time of the year!” The Christmas season really is a time when we experience joy, excitement, anticipation, fun, and delight. We also endure budget woes, family tension, unmet expectations, and frustration from waiting in yet another line. In addition, we could be dealing
Due to a variety of reasons that I don’t need to list, my sweet Pastor husband and I decided to finally update our Christmas tree. We’ve had a twelve-foot tree for a little over 20 years. It has served us well, but in the last couple of years we’ve done
Social media has become a questionable activity. It’s a well-known time waster. Since we’ve just come through the elections, we know that lies and propaganda abound in social media. There are ads that encourage us to buy things we don’t need, and arguments that erupt from strongly voiced opinions. But
Sparks of gratitude often come unexpectedly, even when you are on the lookout for them! As revealed by a random comment that caught me off guard a couple of weeks ago, at our church’s trunk or treat event for Halloween. Since my sweet Pastor husband and I recently returned from
I’m not a time-slotted schedule keeper, but I do have a general mental plan for how I want each week to play out. When I encounter a day with a surprise open afternoon, I get giddy deciding how best to use my time. My schedule recently provided me with a
