When You Finish Reading the Entire Bible in Chronological Order
Well, I finished. This morning, I finished reading the Bible in chronological order using Every Word: A Readers’s 90-day Guide to the Bible. It took me longer than 90 days since I began this reading plan back in April, but I did it. I’m so glad I did it. And guess what? I cannot wait […]
Remember Gratitude
Today on a walk, I remind one daughter about the power of gratitude to change the brain. I’ve read the research on how gratitude alters the brain function of depressed people, so it’s not a silly or meaningless activity to think about or record what we’re grateful for each day. We begin by listing five […]
This Looks Good: Daily Kitchen Challenges
As we continue to stay home and think about fun things to do all summer, we find that daily kitchen challenges bring joy to our hearts. Today, we’re making homemade chili lime tortilla chips from corn tortillas. There’s no recipe. We’re just trying it out: we season and then bake them. It’s fun! Next, we […]
Let the Pickling Begin
I’m new to pickling. I’m new to most things related to the garden. I’m already harvesting my pickling cucumbers, beans, ground cherries, and Serrano peppers. I’m not someone who gets excited about canning, but I am beginning my journey with refrigerator pickling–or quick pickles as some people call them. I like spicy things, so bring […]
When You Smother
I absolutely destroyed the precious rose cutting I had been propagating. In my attempts to make warm, moist, greenhouse conditions, I covered the planted cutting with a large glass jar. For days and days, this worked, and I saw evidence of new growth. At last my “pink social climber” climbing rose would parent enough cuttings […]
Speaking Their Language
As I recently read Acts 2:5-12, I discovered an encouraging new perspective on the Holy Spirit: He enabled people to understand spiritual truth in their own language. I think differently about what this could mean in a broader sense. We read this about the arrival of the Holy Spirt at Pentecost. Now there were staying […]
Alert on the Path
On a hike today, we realize we’re surrounded by poison ivy. That’s one thing. Next, we see what looks like some kind of baby poisonous snake. Finally, another snake slithers by my feet. It’s a path of dangers today. We stay alert on the path. Later, we scrub our arms and legs of poison ivy […]
More News from Nature
It seems it’s my year for finding marvelous things in nature. The baby woodpecker has returned mornings and evenings to visit us from his perch in the winterberry bush. The garden cat, of course, now won’t make his rounds during those times. I’ll keep him inside so he doesn’t terrorize this bird. Meanwhile, I discover […]
A Precious Little Garden Visit
I walked outside to the backyard to check on my blackberries and raspberries. I wanted to ensure my “scare tape” was working. As I circled the yard, I noticed a small bird hopping my way with a determined look on his face. So I sat down in the grass to watch him. He kept hopping. […]
The Arrival Platter
Do you remember the Warm Welcome and the after school snack platters? Well, we also firmly believe in the “Arrival Platter” for anyone coming to visit our home, especially if they’ve traveled far. The Arrival Platter: fresh fruit, cheese, nuts, crackers, pickles, olives, hummus–anything for quick refreshment and munching as people greet one another and […]