When our friend, Jim, fell off a roof and required a few surgeries to repair the damage, we had just the gift to cheer him—a bedpan cake. Since he was the one to originate the idea, it seemed most appropriate. Jim is a funny guy. True, he makes us laugh a lot. But I also…
My life slipped into routine. I became predictable. The whole culmination of 2020 left me disappointed, discouraged, disillusioned. I needed to break the mold, try something new, have an adventure. My kayaking adventure My sister offered an opportunity one Monday in July when she invited my daughters and me to kayak. Anticipation and fear wrestled…
I seek rest each day and each week because if I don’t take time to regroup and adjust my perspective, my stress levels go up and my attitude plummets. I look forward to Sundays, which are my day of rest. There are six things that make my Sundays special. I learn and grow in my…
Do you want to live an effective and productive life? Of course, you do! Who wouldn’t, right? I discovered in 2 Peter 1 eight traits for living an effective and productive life. 8 qualities in increasing measure It says that if we possess the following qualities in increasing measure, they will keep us from being…
Sometimes life beats us down. We forget why we matter and even if what we work so hard at matters. This year of upheaval magnifies these doubts and questions. The Bible blares the answers if we listen. The Bible not only declares you matter, it says you’re valuable. Today, I’ll share some of what I…
Three months. That’s how long I stayed away from church. My family and I attended Sunday service on March 15 and didn’t attend again until June 14. A lot happened in those three months. Then again, not much happened because we stayed home, “sheltering in place.” But you understand. You’ve lived through this unusual time.…
In the movie Overcomer, Thomas asks John, “Who are you?” This question caused me to wonder how do I define “who am I.” John starts listing his titles: basketball coach, history teacher, husband, father. Thomas presses on. “No, what if you are stripped of those, who are you?” When John says follower of Christ, Thomas…
How do you remove weeds in your life? Just like weeding a garden or field, you must pull them out one at a time. Pulling horse weed out of my son’s oat field reminded me of the Parable of the Weeds told in Matthew 13:24-30. Unwanted growth poses strongholds in fields and people alike, but…
Home movies trigger lost memories. We capture our moments in videos and photographs so when we are older we can remember what love looks like. On Mother’s Day, we brought out some old movies featuring my two eldest, starting when they were three-years-old and four months, respectively, and continued to when my second son was…
A year has passed since my last day as a homeschool teacher, but since March, my children studied at home again due to COVID-19. I’ve heard many discussions about the home-based education measures taken because of the pandemic. Views vary to the extremes. But major differences exist between the two: responsibility and investment. I still…