“I can’t listen,” complained our youngest granddaughter when the adult conversation in the car prevented her from hearing her favorite song. We smiled at her use of “listen” and turned the CD player volume up. Problem solved. Most listening challenges are more complicated. This morning as I read a devotion, the stone deck fountain played soothing, peaceful notes as the water trickled down its sides. The sound provided perfect “background music” for my study and reminded me of God’s peace that flows in the hearts of believers who trust Him. In prayer, I released some anxious thoughts that threatened to…
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Praying for Back-to-School Joy
Will COVID-19, a potential joy thief, rob families and educators of joy in 2020? Which safeguards are trustworthy? Do we have a responsibility in the current school year dilemma? Yes, I believe we do. Let’s join together in prayer for each student and educator facing a year of uncertainty. But first, let’s recall happy back-to-school days. Do memories of a new school year make you smile? Do you recall the smell of new crayons and the joy of seeing friends again? Remembering my own school days and those of my children spark joy. From the moment our son played on…
Help a Sister Out
What joy to welcome my guest blogger today. Wife, mom, and writer extraordinaire, Dawn Bata is a new friend. When you read her short post, you’ll want to click on the book photo link at the bottom to check out her ebook. Her bio is there as well. You may want to purchase the ebook or recommend it to a friend, relative, or neighbor who needs encouragement. I’m loving these short but powerful devotions with endearing stories. Here’s Dawn’s post: Help a Sister Out When our middle daughter, Sophia, was eight years old, she ran her first season of…
What I Learned About Growth
“I think she died,” I said to my husband as I lamented the appearance of my friend, the tree who once stood proudly along the fence line. Each fall for decades she’d graced our backyard with a striking combination of colors. Every spring and summer her green waxy leaves provided beauty and shade. But on that mid-spring afternoon, she showed no signs of life. No leaf buds emerged from her long, bare limbs. This mighty tree spread her branches at ninety-degree angles from the eighteen-inch-thick trunk. She stood in sharp contrast to the spring-green leaves and grassy lawn around her.…
Some Trust in Chariots
My daughter’s attention was riveted to the tale of a brave mongoose who protected an Indian family by fighting cobras. Proud of my efforts to introduce her to classic literature and convinced she was now old enough, I read the story she’d selected, a cartoon-illustrated version of “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” by Rudyard Kipling. Have you ever made what you deemed a wise decision but lived to regret it? “I loved Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Mama. He was brave. But, Mama, what if cobras get into our house? We don’t have a mongoose. Can we buy a mongoose, Mama?” “Honey, cobras don’t live in our part…