We are unconditionally loved by a God who gives us the freedom to make choices. Come close or back away? Quiet to stillness or busy into more, more, more? Listen well or refuse wise counsel? At every decision point, day after day, the LORD allows us to choose God's higher, heavenly ways of joy, love, peace or to choose [...]

Good morning... Were you out on your back porch last night around 9:00 pm watching for the Geminids meteor shower? The eyes of our family were searching the sky for the unusual occurrence. One of our kids asked, "What is a meteor shower?" and we all made some guesses. "Lots of shooting stars all at once," was the best [...]

Good morning... "Refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies," the small plaque in the store whispered to my eyes. I wondered to myself, "Do caterpillars have the choice to settle for less than colorful wings and an ability to fly?" Of course, I meander home and google, "Can a caterpillar stay a caterpillar?" I spent hours and hours [...]

Good morning... She wrote: "I so enjoy reading your blog every day. You always seem to 'hit the mark!' I miss seeing you and experiencing your Bible Study. I hope to get involved again, maybe in the Spring. One of my high school best friends had an unplanned pregnancy several years ago that resulted in a child with Down's [...]

Good morning... I had never read these words in the Bible until right now. "In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life," James 1:21 (MSG). What a simple, humble image of God's organic growth. When I hear the word "landscape," I initially think noun. As a noun, landscape means [...]

Good morning... As I took a little time to organize my computer's desktop, I ran across this poem written by our fourteen year old son last August. At my kids' school, I have always loved the traditional eighth grade writing assignment entitled "Where I'm From." My son captured these words on his blank page. Where I'm From I am [...]

Good morning... I pull out the package of gum from my purse, knowing that on it I jotted eight words. Being at my son's middle school wrestling tournament from 9:00 to 5:00 yesterday, I was away from my journal and away from my computer. I saw eight short words I just had to write down. The public middle school [...]

Good morning... Following my post on 12.6.15, a post I renamed "Stromboli is love," many of you have asked for my Stromboli recipe. I will give it happily, with one clear warning. Bubbly cheeses and hot layers of meat wrapped in a pizza-like crust, Stromboli holds no magic. Let's be honest. We all care less about the ingredients in [...]

Good morning... It is hard for me to write Christmas cards to my college friends and not have her name on an envelope this year. As cancer ravaged her body after four grueling years, my friend faced the same dilemma of which Paul writes: For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason [...]

Good morning... Instead of being fluffy white, I could not figure out why my little dog's lower half was completely brown. When we came home from our walk at the horse farm, specks of dirt littered our floor and even six hours later, when we hopped in the bed for a late afternoon nap, Gracie left a film of [...]