MY LIFE IN THE SIXTY-SOMETHING YEARS
A silly online Jib Jab card from my son Brian and his family, good conversation with my youngest son Jeff, and a special dinner at my daughter Christy’s home made for a great 66th birthday celebration. Unfortunately, the earlier events of this day were disheartening. I’m still unsettled from the scenario I witnessed that afternoon. … Continue reading Birthday Wish
Pastor Faith's newly acquired office boasted wall to wall bookshelves that were more than adequate for all her Bibles, commentaries, and texts. In what I would describe as a divine moment of inspiration, she decided to fill the extra space with a variety of non-perishable foods for local residents who might call for groceries. This … Continue reading What the World Needs Now
I was surprised by Ruth's desire to readjust her schedule, post-Corona virus. Her daily rituals of meditation, study, connection with nature, and creative homemaking have always impressed me. But even Ruth desires a more simpler, focused life. Ruth joins the stay-at-home chorus with me and many of my friends; when we get past this I … Continue reading When I Survey the Wonderful Cross
School at Grandma's House is my motivation to save stuff that would ordinarily go straight into the trash or recycling. Styrofoam, brown packing paper, bubble wrap, fabric scraps, toilet paper cylinders, and cardboard boxes of different shapes are some of the craft time materials that I hoard collect for the grandkids' projects. One of the boxes that I … Continue reading Cardboard Box Silly Guy: Identifying 2D and 3D Shapes
To date, this is one of my favorite craft time experiences with my three year old and six year old grandsons. Both of them engaged with the shapes and sticky paper for a long time. Simply hang a sheet of contact paper on your glass door or window, peel off the backing so the sticky … Continue reading Contact Paper Art: Identifying Shapes
I had scheduled meetings with a liberal politician vying for a seat in congress and a public servant in our local government that aligns with the conservative right. My end goal was to understand how our church might better connect with the local community in order to better follow Jesus’ commands to love thy neighbor and serve the least of these.
Entering into the political arena of any persuasion is not my norm, so I thought a lot about how I would engage. (Simply put, I didn’t want to look and sound like an idiot.) My priority was to learn as much as I could from these two individuals, acknowledging that I did not agree with some of their positions.
As I thought about this, I was reminded of Listening Skills 101 from my required course work to become a professional counselor. It’s one thing to be knowledgable about best…
View original post 974 more words
We were heading out to look at a condominium for sale when my husband mistakenly turned left instead of right. But going the wrong direction turned out to be providential because we found ourselves driving through a charming patio home community. Centered in the neighborhood were two ponds, walking paths, and a stunning array of … Continue reading You’re Moving Where?
A garden is more than its tangibles of beds brimming with soil, hemmed in by sturdy woods, more than its April seed buried low in the dark earth, and mid-July sunflowers reaching, more than spheres of Brussel sprouts clinging to a spine. A garden, particularly the Park Street Community Garden, is a life-giving phenomenon. It … Continue reading For Everything There is a Season . . .
What just happened here? Hurry home, hurry home demanded my one-track mind. I need to get out of this store so I can get dinner on the table. I pushed the grocery cart toward the exit doors and offered a quick wave as the cashier said good-bye. Mission complete. On to the next task. Then a … Continue reading It’s the Little Things
Debbie cast me an incredulous look when I shared my vision to offer cooking classes for our neighbors with financial and relational struggles. "Why not?" I wondered aloud. Our church's kitchen space was recently refurbished. Our community garden conveniently located across the street from the church could supply fresh produce. Seemed like a home run … Continue reading When the Time is Ripe (Right)
Season Six(ty) 