Reflecting Back, Treasuring Forward

Hello! I have not forgotten you! I wrote a long post in January, and then set it aside to think on it. Do I really want to share this? I see I never posted it and haven’t posted anything since before Christmas! If I were to treat my blog like Facebook, I would post lots of pictures of our three week trip to the Midwest in December and January to visit family and friends in Chicago, Indiana, and Ohio. ‘Twas grand. 

But I always develop a topic or thought. So, the following includes the first part of what I wrote last month. Reflecting on the last few years, I observe in my rear view mirror some rays refracting toward the future, encouraging me that some changes I’ve made have improved my life and hopefully, my future. I hope the same for you.  Continue reading

Categories: Being Like Jesus, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Leave a comment

A Christ-Blessed Christmas to You

I’m praying for those who read this post: May you receive Christ’s blessings to you this season. “Please note: Salvation is God-given, God-driven, God-empowered, and God-originated. The gift is not from man to God. It is from God to man.”*  Continue reading

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Anticipating the Future Via Treasures from the Past

It can’t be avoided. The older we get, the more that life is behind us rather than in front of us.  Often I wrestle with this blinding, “under the sun” perspective. I miss much of my past: the chatter of two, little girls and all their activity in our house, the planning of family gatherings, the greatly anticipated arrival of grandparents accompanied by a trunk full of garden goodies, homemade berry and cream pies, and ranger or chocolate chip cookies. Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth, Uncategorized | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

Autumn Awe

I wonder, I wonder. . . What percentage of people do you think consider Autumn to be their favorite time of year? I’ve heard a number of people state this recently without any solicitation on my part. It’s just an exhale: “Oh, this is my favorite time of the year!” How interesting to me, because it is my favorite time of the year too! What is your favorite season?

Season makes me think of seasoning. Ha. Then it makes me think of the Greek terms for time: chronos and kairos.  Autumn should be spelled “awetum.” All the senses in the fall are in awe: the warm colors and cool breezes, the crunching leaves under stomping feet and hot, spiced cider under tantalized tongue. . . . All memory rich. . . . Continue reading

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Paper Prayer Partners

Paper prayer partners aren’t really paper partners. They are people who have become my partners in prayer through their instructive writings. I can share in the life of Christ and Christ’s people through the written legacy that God-lovers have left. Their words have brought richness to my life. I would like to share with you some of my favorite books on or of prayer. Continue reading

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Red Light, Green Light: Minimizing Harm

I just re-read my post from April 15 entitled, “A Case for Suffering.” Hmm. An interesting date on which to publish that post! We are now concluding July, and the summer is nearly over. When I was a child, we would not have viewed summer as nearly over at the end of July! School didn’t start until after Labor Day, but now schools begin earlier, and they take a few more breaks during the year.

Our theme today (which certainly applies to following tax laws and to getting an education) is that their is wisdom in paying attention to red lights and green lights so as to minimize harm both personally and collectively. (Is this too obvious of a wisdom, or does difficulty stalk application?) Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil | Tags: | 2 Comments

Savoring Loveliness, Confounding our Sadness

I wrote a post last week but it remains lonely in my drafts. The last few months have been experientially and emotionally packed. So many things to write about. I’m overwhelmed. This past week was the second year anniversary of the deaths of our nineteen Granite Mountain firefighters here in Prescott, Arizona. They died, defending people and homes in Yarnell, Arizona from the raging flames. The day following this anniversary is my birthday. What a juxoposition. . . . Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

Live and Learn — Traveling and Grandsons

Cliches become cliches because there is some clear core of truth within them. “Live and learn” is one of those. It is a premise found in Scripture and within our personal experiences.

Paul and I returned recently from a lightning round, eight day trip to the midwest. We flew to Chicago, spent the night at our older daughter’s home, picked up a rental car the next day and drove

Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A Case for Suffering

Can you make a case for suffering? Most of you are probably familiar with Lee Strobel’s  A Case for Christ and A Case for Faith series. An atheistic journalist turned Christian apologist, pastor, and seminary professor, Strobel seeks to display the integrity of the historic claims of Christianity and to convince others to place their faith in Christ.  Holding many back is the dilemma of evil and suffering, both worldwide and personal. Suffering troubles everyone. Continue reading

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil | Tags: , , , | 3 Comments

Glad Hatters in Mortaland

It’s just not the way I operate. Not with this blog. I tend not to hem and haw around when developing and drafting a post. I jump in to see what will happen. However, this last month I jumped in four pools of thought, came up with four drafts, and left them all out to dry! Nothing satisfied me. Thus, according to my self-imposed rhythm, I’m late, I’m late.

In my last post, I asked Continue reading

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