(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Feb. 28, 2017) A group of college students from Texas stood in a long line of tourists waiting to see the “afterlife army” of China’s first emperor, who died in 210 B.C. The Terracotta Army Museum is one of the greatest archeological sites in the world. My son’s Mandarin-language instructor had planned […]
(ROCKWALL, TX — Dec. 19, 2016) For unto us a child is born… The words proclaim a good-news message set to music that much of the Western world either welcomes or tolerates each December. This season especially, Christmas carols and concertos may serve to dispel some of the gloom and strife that plagued our nation in […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Sept. 23, 2016) She’s a homeschooling mom of four with plenty of other roles, including: wife, soccer mom, symphony violinist, and writer. The latter title allows her readers to see how women can sift through the mundane and sometimes inglorious stuff of life to discover opportunities of influence. Lea Ann Garfias, of […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – May 6, 2016) I woke up wanting to call my grandfather who was ill—at least in my dream. I hadn’t talked to my grandparents in months, so it would be good to check in with them. My busy day as a young mother slipped away. I reminded myself to make that call […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – March 18, 2016) My husband unloaded his treasure from the car and carried it downstairs. The large box held dismantled pieces of a crystal lamp that once adorned the homes of both his parents and grandparents. Jim hoped we could find a place for it in our home—some day. For now, his […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – March 18, 2016) The ministry headquarters is located just a few miles west of Lake Ray Hubbard—not far from the path of the tornado that devastated areas of Garland and Rowlett in late December. When Texas Baptist Men (TBM) responded to the recent disaster, volunteers came ready to put their training to […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Jan. 29, 2016) “Isn’t love the most important thing?” My friend’s mother repeated the question for a second time as I attempted to share my born-again faith with her. “Of course,” I had to agree. We both knew the Apostle Paul’s admonition to love: “If I speak in the tongues of men […]
(ROCKWALL, TX – Jan. 9, 2016) A New Year means new reading for me—the result of a Christmas list that always includes books. I keep a year-round wish list, jotting down titles of interest, based on Christian book reviews or recommendations. No article gets my attention more than a “top-ten picks” of books related to […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – Nov. 11, 2015) If you were a flower, what kind of flower would you be? A pastor’s wife posed the woman’s retreat-type question to our group. (I’ve assumed that men ask different ones). My own answer sprang up immediately: a chrysanthemum, because it’s a late-bloomer. I hoped to be a late-bloomer, since my […]
(ROCKWALL/HEATH, TX – September 1, 2015) Georgia Mae Hendrix often wears a white sweater over a colorful blouse. And she can wear a smile. Residents of the assisted living facility where I once-a-week lead exercise have more in common than silver hair and close ages—mostly north or south of ninety. They rarely get excited; they […]