A Special Thank You to Teachers Who Do This in December
In 2006, my daughter went to the world’s greatest preschool in Ann Arbor, MI. It was FUMCN (First United Methodist Church Preschool Cooperative). The teacher, Ms. Juli, sent home surprise Christmas presents that year made from handprints and footprints of the children. This one of a reindeer, made from my 4 year old’s footprint as […]
Not My Finest Moment
Today I was temperamental. If you look this word up in your trusted dictionary, you’ll find that it means moody, mercurial, erratic, unpredictable, and even peculiar. I like to think that I’ve mastered my own moods after all this time and effort, but really, I’m just terrible. I’ve been known to pout if my schedule […]
Storm-Tossed
We return from visiting grandparents at the seashore. We’ve been told that this particular shore holds the most extraordinary collection of seashells. People come from all over the world to comb this beach for shells. Shelling at Sanibel Island is something we’ve looked forward to; however, this particular season, we’re so disappointed. Something’s not right. […]
When You Need Help
Don’t worry if you find yourself in a situation where you need help–emotionally or physically. God is the Helper. How wonderful to know it! What an amazing cause for Thanksgiving! Today I read in Psalm 34:17: When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. I remember […]
Remember the Cutest Veggie Tray for Thanksgiving
This afternoon, I remember my favorite Thanksgiving Vegetable Platter. I found the idea at Living Locurto under the post, “10 Creative Vegetable Trays.” I thought I’d repost my version here. Enjoy! We arrange bok choy and spinach, then carrots, and then sliced peppers of alternating colors for beautiful feathers. We use cucumbers and then half a […]
The Fortress Inside
I love rereading Hannah Whtiall Smith’s comments on our inner life and how we have within us a refuge and fortress in God. Over and over again, I go back to this inner, invisible dwelling place. Here, all is well. Here, all is just as it should be. Then, what’s happening externally hardly unsettles us.
The Smallest Gesture Brought Some Peace
As you know, I struggle with so much travel anxiety. I pray and use all sorts of strategies, but sometimes I just feel all out of sorts. I imagine nothing will ever be right again and that everything is falling apart inside of me. This morning in a little hotel coffee shop, I ordered some […]
Blessing Others During the Holidays
As I grow older, I become more and more excited about what it means to bless others (instead of focusing on myself). In the past, I’ve been supremely self-focused. Popular blogs about the holidays sometimes feed into our narcissism; we’re told to take care of our needs and focus on our own happiness. I’ve tried […]
Majesty No Matter Where
Today I think about how much we enjoy majesty. We feel so alive and full of joy in the presence of a truly majestic thing. Majestic things are exceedingly beautiful, exceedingly powerful, and exceedingly great. I love thinking about majestic creatures, majestics landscapes, and majestic ideas. But what if I’m somewhere devoid of majesty? I […]
A Succulent Little Update
I’m washing dishes and noticing how beautiful and full my terrariums have become. Do you remember in May how I made little terrariums with my friend? They were precious and so fun to make. Perhaps you have family coming into town for Thanksgiving. They might enjoy making terrariums one afternoon. The two photos below are […]