Sin & Error Pining
Tis the season to listen to 24/7 Christmas music and watch Christmas movies. I was listening to O Holy Night which I have heard thousands of times. It is a weird thing to hear something and ponder it in a new way. The lines in the song that struck me: Long lay the world in…
Advent Devotional Dec. 3
When have you been happiest in your life? What events have sparked the most enthusiasm? Have you ever been overwhelmed by gladness? The word joy is very much associated with Christmas and Christianity. In fact, the joy of the holiday is usually very contagious. When the wisemen saw the star in the sky the Bible…
Thanksgiving Prompts 2021
Gratitude is a choice. Being thankful takes discipline. Since we were married 41 years ago we intentionally set aside the month of November to practice aloud counting our blessings. Still thankful. Still choosing. Still counting. This year I am answering self-written prompts to think afresh of the things for which I am thankful. Please feel…
Using the W word
I am thinking about the day we celebrated Jim in a memorial service on this date in 2010. We had music, balloons, laffy taffy, people from every part of his life and more. It was a “good” day. He was worth celebrating and remembering. I hate the term widow. I don’t know why, but I…
I hear you. I see you.
I have a friend who has had a very hard season and finds herself in the midst of grief and the sad loneliness that comes along for the journey. I have been there, but at the same time I haven’t. Grief is so solitary and unique. The loneliness of grief is so different than regular…
Jim’s Birthday
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Jim; he is tattooed onto my soul with indelible ink. I remember things about him that I admired, his wisdom and thoughtfulness, his quick wit, the soft kiss at the start and end of each day. He never left the house without a magic trick…
Loss
Eleven years ago today, my husband of 30 years, my best friend, the father of my children and a very creative minister left this life for a better one. Over the years he has continued to impact lives for the better by the memories shared of him and I continue to count it a privilege…
Eighty-Eight
I remember a book written in 1988 titled “88 Reasons why the Rapture will happen in 1988”. The sequel came out the following year! There are 88 keys on a piano. It means hugs and kisses in morse code. King Rehoboam had 88 kids. There are other not so nice meanings attached to this number…
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
This is the word from Mary Poppins that one is encouraged to use when they cannot think of anything else to say. Maybe this is a nonce word but it could also be an example of an hapax legomenon. A nonce is a spontaneously made up word for a specific situation. An hapax legomenon (aka…
A new lampshade
One thing about binge watching all the shows on Magnolia Network, Discovery plus and other related platforms is the possibility of becoming dissatisfied with what is, of wanting something different or more. Spending money on things for self rather than generously sharing with those who need shoes, water and food is already easy enough to…