Life Lessons
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A Psalm 136 Christmas Letter
Last week I started a Christmas letter. Determined to NOT skip another year, I hastily (because I’m busy) and concisely (because I dislike long epistles) shared the “highlights” of the year. Why? Good question. It stems from the days prior to Facebook and Instagram to keep everyone up to date on our lives. In the “old” days, Christmas letters let far-away relatives know what we’d been doing – vacations, moves, etc. We’d share glowing reports of our kids’ activities – soccer, band, lessons, scouts, dance, you name it. In keeping with tradition, I replayed that old record. Then I hit delete. Something didn’t set well. Something wasn’t right. Oh, everything…
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Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!
Nobody likes to be lied to. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you live or how old you might be. We all have a universal need – an expectation really – to hear the truth. Think about it. When we are facing any given situation – before we can take any steps to deal with it – we ask for the facts, right? We want to know exactly what we’re facing. “Give it to me straight, Doc!” When a problem arises we “Google it,” read a book or ask friends for more info. We. Desire. Truth. In Ephesians 6, the Bible describes truth as a belt. According to…
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Dear Young Friend Whose Parent Has Cancer
Dear Young Friend Whose Parent has Cancer, You’ve been in my mind and on my heart for so long now, I had to write out my thoughts or I would burst. You see, I once was you. I felt your fear, cried your tears. I was that kid whose parent had cancer. And though I cannot begin to understand ALL you’re going through, there are a few things I want you to know. First, it’s not your fault. For some reason as kids, we often think when bad things happen, we are in some way responsible. I know I did. I thought I did something wrong or at least wondered…
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The Day of Uncertainty
What was it like on the day “in between?” When I read the crucifixion and resurrection events of the Bible I like to imagine what they were they thinking, feeling, experiencing – at that time – in that place. By “they” I mean Jesus’ friends, disciples, family members and loved ones. This morning I woke up wondering, did what they witnessed on that fateful Friday keep them up all night? As the horrors of yesterday replayed in their minds, did they wonder, “Did that REALLY happen?” Or “What could we have done differently?” Certainly, some were tormented by such thoughts. Others may have wondered, “Should I have done something?…
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Voting on November 8th – It’s as Simple and 1,2,3!
Guess what?! It’s almost over!! What an election year! I don’t need to remind you of the highs, and more often, the deep, deep lows of the last months. Like many, I have agonized over the “choices.” I have witnessed the mud-slinging shift from the debate stage to Facebook, pitting friend against friend as each of us has wrestled with the possibilities and feared for our country’s future. But after Tuesday, the decision will have been made. At least there’s some relief in that. Isn’t it interesting, though, that much of the controversy surrounding the two primary political candidates has revolved around the accusations of immoral and unethical behavior?…
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Parallel Parking and God – A Lesson in Listening
My last child, #4, takes her driving test very soon. I have attempted to show her various maneuvers, but knew I had to pass her off to her dad to cover the intricacies of parallel parking. You see, her dad, who is a car-loving “gear-head” if there ever was one, can park a car inside our garage within inches of the walls and corners. A few days ago they set out to practice on the road, but before they did, my husband attempted to show our daughter on paper how to parallel park. What followed was a series of “I know Dad!” and then “Just be quiet and listen!” verbal…
