Family Friday #5 There’s no place like home!
When Jim and I got married we first lived in a quonset hut in Bellflower. Our church had bought some property that was dubbed the promised land and we were to move into a small house on that property once the escrow closed. So we lived in the place Jim had lived in prior to…
Lost things
There is a funny story about some keys that I will share but it got me thinking about the things I have lost. It has been said that the average person in America spends about 2.5 days a year looking for things misplaced, usually the remote, cell phone, shoes, glasses and keys. The amount of…
Life in one sentence
It is the time of year where people sum up the past 365 days and look forward to the next 365. I am not sure that I want to sum up my life in one trite or pithy expression and yet, though life is more than a motto they do serve a purpose. Without then…
Breathe Deep
Years ago, Jim and I found a band called Lost Dogs; some of the members had been part of the early Christian music movement. Their lyrics made us think and ponder anew the reality that is YHWH. This song is one of theirs that we sang with our youth groups. Verse 1: Politicians, morticians, philistines,…
Labels
I have lots of these and my favorites are based on my identity in relationships – daughter. sister. aunt. mom. friend. wife. When I am introduced to someone often the labels I am asked for are not the ones based on relationship (perhaps it is too intimate), but rather the identifiers are based on what…
Easter 2023
Today is Friday. Fridays have become a good day because I switched my role as minister to worker bee and now have a weekend to rest, play and get chores done. This Friday is extra special because it is God’s Friday around the world as we remember the work of Christ on the cross. Can…
Miracles
Yesterday at our weekly staff meeting one of the shepherds asked us to list miracles we have witnessed and the room was silent. Really?! A room full of full time ministers and christian workers who could not share a miracle! (myself included). I am sure that some of the lack of response was due to…
Heroes
There are heroes in the world. Some are disguised as regular people. I know some – actually I know more than my fair share. They may not be the superhero kind who wear capes and have otherworldly superpowers but they are the real deal. One of my superheroes, at 87 years old, went to Africa…
The myth of the past
Looking forward rather than backward is “advent”, It is looking for what is coming, anticipating arrival- not retracing our steps! As a kid I celebrated the expectant coming of Christ with eager anticipation (well, at least for the gifts that accompanied the arrival). And yet He had already come some 2000 years ago! We retrace…
89 & 65 and me
My dad turned 89 in Oct. My parents celebrated 65 years of marriage in Nov. Every day I have them is a blessing for which I am grateful. It does not matter how long I have had my dad, nor does it matter that he has lived a good long life. It does not matter…