Seeing God in the future
I’ve come to realize that, whenever I find myself overwhelmed by worry, what I’m really doing is imagining a future without God in it. I’m facing the future alone, forget... »
Personal Accounts
The flowers will come
Seven years ago, the land our home is built on was a flat, rocky field of weeds. I wanted a backyard with a big tree that spread out in the center of the yard, so we plan... »
The wonder of a New Year
At the end of last year, a friend asked me to care for her five-year-old daughter. On New Year’s Eve, two of my sons and their wives invited me and the little girl to acc... »
Learning from a little child
I greatly enjoy buying new educational toys for my littlest granddaughter. I give her something almost every time I see her, and I have concluded that everything is a gif... »
The greatest gift of all
Sometimes we take the gifts we’ve been surrounded with all our lives for granted, because we’ve grown so accustomed to them. When we think of the perfect balance of the u... »
Our family traditions
Christmas for our family is always a big mix and match as far as the things we do, foods we prepare, and ways we celebrate. Every year looks different, and I love that ab... »
Gift giving
I’d say the trickiest part of Christmas is deciding whether to include gift giving. It can be a burden on your time, energy, finances, and Christmas spirit, or it can be... »
The Christmas of small things
December 2020 was my first Christmas without my husband. He had passed away five months before, quite quickly. He still had many projects he wanted to accomplish. One of... »
Our savior relates to us
There are four books of the Bible that are dedicated to the story of Jesus’ life; they record His teachings, miracles, actions, etc. Mark and John’s accounts begin when J... »
Christ came that night!
It was winter in Romania. A few of us had prepared gifts and bags filled with chicken, basic food items, snacks, and fruit. We parked our car on a dark street surrounded... »
The search for peace
“Glory to God in the highest,” angels proclaimed to shepherds on the first Christmas Eve, “and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14 NKJV). Although peace has b... »
Holding on to hope
My son gifted me a beautiful hibiscus plant. It had a lovely pink flower and a few buds. Looking at the plant made me very happy! After a few days the flower shed its pet... »
The inner life
I have always thought of myself as a reasonably tidy person, someone who likes to keep things around me neat, clean, and organized. I have heard the adage “cleanliness is... »