Between a Rock and a Hard Place
We are studying Genesis at church and when I get to the place where Jacob is fleeing for his life after stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing, I am always reminded of the worst night of my life – 11/5/10 when Jim left earth for heaven and I had my own dark night of the soul.…
What’s new?
Sometimes I cannot seem to creatively crawl out of my ordinary. The task of getting through the day’s chores is about all I can handle and then I just box up my brain and save it for the next day. I think this is a rut that I am ready to leave but the problem…
Joy is not afraid of the Truth
The brief and frequent glimpses of happiness and joy I have tell me that I am loved. That there is something to why I am. This life is short and the next one is not. This life is hard and messy but it is also good and filled with hope. The harsh reality is that…
Christmas 2021
Another year has come and gone. Some of it was good. Some of it was hard. Some was messy. Some was fun. Of all the words that could describe 2021 I think I will use the word languishing. Why? After 2 years of pandemic fatigue I think most of those I interact with, follow on…
Good King Wenceslaus
This is a very intriguing Christmas carol because it does not mention Christ or Christmas. I used to wonder what it meant and who this King was? It turns out he is as real as Saint Nick. He lived in the early middle ages in Bohemia (aka. the Czech Republic). He was really a duke…
God Rest Ye Merry
Every year we greet each other with the word merry, meaning happy or pleasant; merry old England referred to an idyllic life that was prosperous and bountiful and Robin Hood’s merry men were companions in arms. The Bible uses the word merry to convey a sense of joyfulness. Proverbs 17:22 says that a merry or…
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…
Fullerton Free 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…