Charlie’s First Labor Day

Good morning... On Saturday, we received this photo of our three month old grandson Charlie with our son Kyler. His text read, "First time at the pool! He's wearing his hat from aunt Adri." What a great way to celebrate Charlie's first Labor Day weekend. Not living in the same town, we realize that our life as a [...]

By |2026-09-08T00:40:24-04:00September 7th, 2026|Aging, Family and Friends, God's Love, Joy, Organic Growth|

Beside Audrey’s Grave

Good morning... On September 1st, Jennifer DeShetler posted the tribute above to her daughter, Audrey. I zoomed in close and read the plaque resting in the right front corner of the photo. "She is a mountain moving, giant slaying, world changing warrior. She walks with Jesus. That is her game changing strategy." What a perfect description of audacious [...]

By |2026-09-03T05:20:24-04:00September 3rd, 2026|Death And Resurrection, Everyday life, Faith, Joy, Trust God|

Audrey Is Deeply Missed

Good morning... Two weeks ago, our Fab 5 friend group circled up with Jennifer DeShelter over lunch. Jennifer is the mother of beloved Audrey, who passed away fifteen months ago after a fifteen year battle with pediatric cancer. Then last week, Audrey's dad, Ben, posted this moving message on Facebook. ****** This week would have marked the beginning [...]

By |2026-09-02T02:11:55-04:00September 2nd, 2026|Death And Resurrection, Gratitude, Grief, Joy, Letting Go|

Becoming A Grandmother

Good morning... During the last week of my summer break, I spent time in Athens, GA with our eleven week old grandson Charlie. Our son was away with work for four days and our daughter-in-law had a big, important job as a wedding florist, so I came into town to care for Charlie. It all sounded like a [...]

By |2026-08-06T09:05:45-04:00August 6th, 2026|Aging, God's Plan, Imperfection, Joy, Spiritual Growth|

Everything Can Happen

Good morning... Well, two things can be true. First, after playing terribly and losing 4-1 to Belgium in last night's game, the USA soccer team will not win the 2026 World Cup. Second, I love a creative commercial which brings to life our high hopes as a hosting nation. Stepping over the division, controversy, and corruption running rampant, [...]

By |2026-07-07T07:36:59-04:00July 7th, 2026|Abundance, Heaven On Earth, Joy, Trust God, Unity|

The Wonder Of World Cup

Good morning... The 2026 World Cup action has been thrilling and frustrating, exciting and heartbreaking, bonding and controversial. Tonight the USA team plays Belgium at 8:00 pm, and many across the globe will experience the wide range of emotions wired into each human heart. "The world is meant to meet," is a phase that lingers from one of [...]

By |2026-07-06T09:23:47-04:00July 6th, 2026|Community, Family and Friends, God's Plan, Human Nature, Joy|

Sing. Dance. It’s Your Chance.

Good morning... I went to the estate sale of a friend who was retiring and moving after thirty fertile years. Instantly, I was drawn to the plaque hanging in her kitchen: "Feel free to sing and dance - you many not get a second chance." So I dished out the $2.00 and came home with the fun find. [...]

By |2026-06-26T05:00:41-04:00June 26th, 2026|Abundance, Aging, Community, Everyday life, Joy|

Depressed And Hopeful

Good morning... As I stroll into our summer reading of Henri Nouwen's Here and Now, I meet these words on page 43. "Joy and hope are never separate. I have never met a hopeful person who was depressed or a joyful person who has lost hope." I think to myself, "Actually, I think I am a hopeful person [...]

By |2026-05-30T09:07:07-04:00May 30th, 2026|Depression, God's Timing, Joy, True Self, Trust God|

One Grandmother’s Loss

Good morning... "When a child is born, so is a grandmother," wrote a longtime friend when our first grandson arrived. I was thinking about this statement when I opened the following email. A regular reader wrote these touching words after our blog Nothing Like A Newborn. She gave me her permission to share her story with you. "Beautiful [...]

By |2026-05-19T04:43:08-04:00May 19th, 2026|Grief, Joy, Loss, Peace, Trust God|

Charlie Was Born By Prayer

Good morning... On May 14th, we got our son Kyler's first text at 2:14 am. "At the hospital! Pray for us. Chandler is doing amazing." I wrote our blog post in the middle of the night, sharing their request for prayers, then I headed back to bed for my second sleep. At 9:00 am, his next text came [...]

By |2026-05-18T02:55:56-04:00May 16th, 2026|Abundance, Family and Friends, God's Timing, Joy, Prayer|
Go to Top