“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 Tada! The last puzzle piece snapped into place and felt so satisfying. The puzzle didn’t start out with such fuzzy feelings. 1000 random …
Three women at a corner table in a cafe pray over salads. They discuss current projects and catch up on their families. When the coffee arrives, Ansley poses a question. “Do either of you have new year’s resolutions?” Leslie answers first, “I make goals more than resolutions.” “What’s the difference?” Sharyn asks. “Goals don’t have …
Moving boxes, in addition to dozens of antiques collected over the years, crowded my friend’s living and dining rooms. Half the boxes had been loaded in the rented truck, but still no furniture. I handed a box to Philip, the next person in the box brigade, and I spoke my mind. “We can fit boxes …
“It was great running into you. Let’s do lunch.” “I’d love to—stay in touch.” Friends hug and wave goodbye as they step in different directions with their minds already on the next destination. As days pass, then months, their sincere talk of lunch is locked in the past. To remedy this “out-of-sight/out-of-mind” situation, the zeitgeist …
The first week of December is nearly past, and I’ve changed my mind three times about which Advent devotion to use for Christmas. Why am I dragging my feet? I can’t connect the babe in the itchy hay to the man who faced death with composure. God entered human life as the rest of us …
Tori and I walked into the nave. A stand holding laminated cards which chronicled the history of the church blocked the center of the aisle. We each took one, then began reading and searching out the details described in the literature. After a few moments, I whispered to Tori that I wanted to move deeper …
I have an uninvited companion. His name is Death. He barged in and dragged off my mother, my father, my in-laws, and pets in short order then came back with his luggage to stay. At first, I fought him like mad by flailing at others. “This feels so WRONG.” I accused God. “Are you really …
A disturbing question confronted me two weeks ago, like an Intervention. It bubbled under the surface in March and April when the Master Naturalist classes were meeting, but I ignored its warnings. On class days, I woke with anticipation, having packed a lunch the night before and set out clothing. During lectures and field trips, …
My ears blared sirens in my head, not of sound but of hot-pokered pain. I sat on the crinkly paper in an exam room. “Your ears are fine.” “What? Then why do they hurt so much?” “Your throat is inflamed, and the pain in your ears is referred pain.” “That means my throat is sick …
Do you see king cakes and moon pies in the grocery store now? Parade floats line the streets and beads hang detangled, ready for tossing. We may or may not get into Mardi Gras, but it heralds Lent. Next week is Ash Wednesday and the official beginning of Lent. Many of us practice Advent, and …
This past fall we drove fifteen minutes to the beach for our son to soak in salt water before he had to return to landlocked Tennessee later that evening. The skies had withheld rain for the past month, so the Gulf of Mexico waters were like liquid glass. We noticed a stirring in the water …
2018! This year has never happened before. We may anticipate some events, but others will surprise us. This January may seem like any other, but the month ushers in a year as unique as you are. 2018 is a gift. We can choose how we unwrap it. Maybe you begin a new role this year …