“Mmm….just right!” your mouth tells you as you take a sip of the perfect latte, cappuccino, coffee, hot tea or whatever you start your day with. But if there’s too much sugar, not enough cream, or the temperature is too cold or too hot, it can throw a wrench in the works. You mumble & grumble and pour and stir until you get it just right. How do I know? Because I find myself scrupulously preparing my cup of morning brew! Continue reading
Liturgical Seasons
My Parents’ Very Unusual Christmas Gift
A humongous box of firecrackers? A kitten in a basket? Those gifts may be unusual, but they are nothing like the very unusual Christmas gift I received from my parents. My parents’ very unusual Christmas gift was something that can’t be packaged and tied up with a string. They gave it not only to me but to my siblings as well. It was not something that we touched, but something we experienced. The very unusual gift that my parents gave was Continue reading
A Cry In The Wilderness
The terrifying roar woke me. I shivered with fear and pulled my sleeping bag over my head wondering what in the world I just heard out there in the wilderness of the campground.
Wolf? No way. Continue reading
There is Nothing Like a Mother’s Love
Just spent the weekend with my mother in my hometown. She has taught me so much about love and service and my faith. For example, when I struggled down some stormy roads earlier in my life, her unconditional love and maternal tenderness was a beacon for me in my dark time. From big things, like her Continue reading
Tis the Season to…Pause and Pray at the Manger
It’s finally here! The Christmas season. Time to remember what the season is all about. Time to pause and pray before a manger. May I suggest Prayer at the Manger written by my friend Cinda DeVet? It will only take a minute, and the Child is waiting. Waiting for you. Continue reading
As the Darkest Day Draws Near — Find Lights of Hope Here
The darkest day of the year is near. On December 21, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will have the longest night of the year and the shortest period of daylight. There will be over five hours more darkness than we had back in June. That’s a lot of darkness. Below are some quotes about light to help brighten and bring some hope into our cold, dark Advent season. Continue reading
I WILL SEE YOU AGAIN An Ascension Reflection
When I became a young adult and moved away from home, a visit back to spend time with my parents was a favorite trip of mine. The unconditional love I received along with the yummy homemade food made it hard to leave. I yearned to stay longer and would often delay my parting. Continue reading
What Hurt More? A Painful Poem
What hurt more my Lord?
Having the leather whip scream through the air, repeatedly slicing open your back?
Or hearing the crowd scream to release Barabbas instead of you? Continue reading
STRONG FINISHES for the Oops, Ouch, and Oh My!
As a track coach I preach and preach to my athletes about the importance of strong finishes. Digging down deep and giving it your all as you close in on the finish line can make a big difference. Strong finishes are about determination and courage. Perseverance and focus. Discipline and commitment.
Strong finishes of course don’t just pertain to races on the track, but to projects and commitments we make throughout life, like the finish line that is fast approaching; Yes, the end of Lent is just around the corner with Holy Week and Easter on the horizon. Continue reading
Don’t Just “Bump into” Jesus (And other things we can learn from Berenice)
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. (Mark 5:24) And understandably so. Jesus had just healed a man possessed with numerous demons and was on his way to the house of a synagogue official who had begged him to heal his gravely ill daughter.