Welcome to My Blog
How Long is Too Long?
Larry and I recently talked with a woman who is unhappy that the first year of her marriage has been so hard. When we indicated that things can take a long time to get better, she said, "But it's been a year!"I couldn't decide whether I wanted to be shocked or laugh...
The Missing Scalloped Potatoes
I sat in my hairdresser's chair on Thursday and suddenly started laughing. I told her, “I just realized that I forgot to make the scalloped potatoes for Easter dinner last Sunday.” Oh, my, when am I going to learn to make a list of all I plan to serve? Fortunately, I...
Knowing God’s Heart
I spoke in Ohio this past weekend and stayed with my friend, Liz Rao, who is Women's Ministry Director at that church. She was a nurse when she met her husband, a heart surgeon, so she knew what she was getting into. But she has always been so positive about the many...
Update on Overwhelmed Feelings
My last blog shared my overwhelmed feelings. At times, we feel like we're going to explode, don't we? In those times, I feel like I'm not breathing. I actually find myself holding my breath. A lack of oxygen is not a good thing.So as I prayed about what was happening,...
Constant Dependency
I've been feeling overwhelmed lately. In reality, there's not major things happening or really, really lots going on, but it's enough to make me feel like I'm holding my breath. I finally got in touch with my "overwhelmed" feeling and said to the Lord, "Help! Help! I...
Pruned and Groomed
I've been meditating on that phrase for a while, "pruned and groomed." The other day when I was thinking about some current struggles and challenges, and finishing my month's reading of 1 Thessalonians, that phrase came into my mind. I knew immediately the Lord was...
Knowing and Understanding God
As I put my Bible and commentary out on the patio and looked forward to my time of studying, I got excited about learning. But then I thought, "It's not just learning new ideas that is important but what will I learn about God? What does God want to show me about...
Make It Your Ambition
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: "and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you" (NASB). For "ambition," ESV uses the word "aspire" and the Reformed Study Bible notes make the...
Read a Bible Book Every Day for a Month
Read a book of the Bible every day for a month? The same book of the Bible? Yes, I bet you're thinking right now I'm a little crazy, and I'm surprised myself to be able to say that that's what I've been doing for almost a year. And it's possible--and it's a tremendous...
Faith, Love & Hope
I'm reading 1 Thessalonians for my month of reading (I'll post about that another time), and I've been fascinated with reading this: "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance...
Detectives on the Trail of “WOE”
Lately, I've had cravings for powdered donuts. They are one of several "favorite bad foods" for me. Not a pretty sight! I swear they call to me in the grocery store and I know right where they have them by the check out counter. Yikes!The other day when I drove back...
First Time I Couldn’t Arrive at a Speaking Engagement
I started over the mountains to get to the other side toward San Diego and was driving our sports car which is terrible in snow and ice. Though driving slowly and carefully, I still skidded onto the other lane a few times but there was hardly anyone on the road going...