There is no Easter bunny. I lowered my head in disappointment and embarrassment. An older playmate had just informed five-year-old me that Santa, the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny were mere deceptions. I had to grow up. At least God remained safe. I held on to religious traditions: words, music, prayers and the atmosphere […]
The first month of 2013 marked a 40th anniversary that many observed but no one should have celebrated. Yet much of our national media didn’t do much to remind us of the January, 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. It’s been an ugly business for 40 years, with passionate arguments that […]
(December 6, 2012) Lights, camera, action! The Christmas holidays beckon us to perform. We’ll host get-togethers for friends or family. We’ll decorate, shop, wrap, bake, and send out greeting cards with our family photo—the one that shows us looking relaxed. The Christmas season has a way of strapping us into the back seat and taking […]
Thanksgiving couldn’t wait until late November this year. It showed up early when I opened One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. By chapter three, I wasn’t just reading; I had responded to the challenge that inspired the best-seller—to list one thousand blessings. The author, a farmer’s wife and homeschooling mother of six, had plenty of […]
October 9, 2012 – A fall road trip took us across the country in a direction we’d never traveled. Amazing desert vistas lay ahead—more wonderful than we’d imagined. My husband and I had decided to take our daughter’s car to her at college— a 1300-mile-journey from our Texas home. The trip would be a visit, […]
(August 26, 2012) – Reading the book of Jonah for the first time troubled me. Not the miraculous aspect—I easily digested the man-gets-swallowed-by-fish part. But Jonah’s stubborn response to God bothered me. I couldn’t relate to the prophet’s attitude—until I found myself following his example. Wednesdays meant prayer meeting at our church on the edge […]
Dallas yards featured wide cracks in the summer of 2011. This summer, they’re more likely to display roofing company signs—hundreds dot some neighborhoods. There’s been relief from extreme drought in parts of Texas, though the extreme remains. As in too many places across the U.S. in recent months, rains come by way of dangerous storms […]
United Kingdom, British Commonwealth commemorate Queen’s long reign A thousand vessels paraded up the River Thames under dark and rainy skies on the first Sunday of June. The spectacular flotilla included the Queen of England on a royally decorated barge, surrounded by family members and a thousand flowers from her own garden. Throngs of celebrants […]
On Thursday, May 3rd, I drove over to Rockwall City Hall. I’d read about a noon-time gathering planned for the National Day of Prayer (NDP). Sure enough, I saw red, white and blue balloons and people in non-business attire making their way toward the front of the tall building. Attending a NDP gathering seems a […]
It poured rain on the spring Saturday that I drove across town on a mission of motherhood. But I was less than half-hearted to fulfill it. My more enthusiastic, 13-year-old son sat in the middle seat of our minivan as we plowed down a waterlogged road, looking for street signs. The small plastic bin next […]