Stop, Smell the Roses, and Water Them, Too!
Yesterday I was blessed to receive bright pink roses. They were beautiful and breathtaking. However, I had not gone home immediately after receiving them. In fact, the flowers had to sit in my warm car for a few hours until the celebrations of the day finally drew to a close. By the time we arrived at home, the roses didn't look as lively or vibrant. Sadly, they seemed to be wilting. Nevertheless, I found a vase, filled it with water, and placed the roses in. When I awoke this morning and went out into my breakfast room, there the roses
No fair!
My three-year-old son just recently got into the habit of saying, "It's not fair!" I thought to myself, "He's only three, and it's just begun..." You know, the back-and-forth, "she got that, he got this, why didn't I get those shoes, why didn't she need to clean up like I did..." cycle. His big sister had gotten a special treat that day, and he wanted one, too. He had forgotten all about the candy he had received just a few hours before. Earlier in the week, my daughter told me that it wasn't fair that I wouldn't allow her to
Just Call Me Rich
Throughout the years, I admired both my mom and my husband's mom as I watched them do it all. From cooking fresh meals daily (yes, you read correctly!) and raising a family to working as a full-time nurse, they both fit the description of SuperMom. But of all those things, what has left the deepest impression on me are the life lessons they have taught. For a long time, I never quite understood the jokes or negative stories people said about in-laws. All I had ever experienced was how my mom treated my dad's parents as if they were her own parents. She loved
Life Songs
https://youtu.be/ejs0NQEhdnk Catchy tune, isn't it? When my kids were in pre-school, they used to sing some variation of this song. It was an earworm that I would have for days. And just when I would get rid of it, one of them would start singing it again. Grrr... They had all kinds of songs like this- months of the year, the continents, cleaning up, brushing your teeth. A song for everything. We use songs to teach children simple concepts that they need to be able to remember- shapes, colors, life skills. The repetition of the song along with the melody teaches new concepts and
Closed Doors
Have you had a door close in your life recently? Or maybe even slam shut? Don’t take it personally. On second thought...if You are a believer, asking God for His will to be done, maybe you should take it personally. In 1 Samuel 29, David is on the run from King Saul. He is tired and worn out and finds a safe haven in an unlikely place, amidst the ungodly Philistines. David became so chummy with these new found friends, that he even offered to join their army. King Achish was ready and willing to take David up on his
Better Than Late
There has been one time in history when being late was super cool...and it involved Jesus and a guy named Lazarus. You can read the story for yourself in John 11. (I guess, technically, Jesus wasn’t really late because it was all part of the plan anyway...but you get my point.) Other than that - not cool. As much as I’d like to believe I’m an on-time kind of person, I’ve found myself slipping in this as well. Twice in the past week as a matter of fact. There are times when it is beyond our control. Like when
Trust Regardless of the Outcome
Recently something a friend shared led me on a stroll down memory lane. There I was ... in my car ... crying. "Lord, I can't take any more bad news." Every difficult situation I had encountered up until that day was dealt with the same way: going from a state of shock and disbelief to becoming numb and finally, feeling angry and asking God what we tend to wonder: "Why??" Yes, I have been a believer from a young age, but I'm also a human who faced real struggles. And you know what? I was tired. I was drained. In fact, I
God’s Timing
I was at the end of training for my career when I felt the urgency to move forward in pursuing a relationship with the hope of getting married. To be honest, at that point in my life, the timing seemed late to me. But not to God. This season brought moments of discouragement, tears, and questions. When I was at the end of my options, I finally did what I should have done from the start. I prayed. In fact, one particular Friday night, I was invited to a prayer meeting. I decided that I would focus my prayer to God on
Amen
There are a few things that are really hard for me to resist: A bowl of chips with salsa at a Mexican restaurant. A cup of coffee. And last but certainly not least, when my nephews or niece want something. If their Uncle Lance and Nana/Aunty Newy can make it happen, and their parents approve, it is going to happen. This hasn’t occurred yet but let’s just say they felt the need to make a particular request of us. If they created a presentation with a Power Point, we would think it was cute but not necessary. All they would need
Put the Pedal to the Metal!
I don't know about you, but my Friday evenings are typically relaxing. However, that was NOT the case this past Friday. After snapping photos throughout the school year, I finally compiled them into a slide show for our community's end of the year celebration. But there I was, minutes before leaving for the celebration, prompted to watch the show ONE more time JUST to make sure it worked well. To my shock, the music was not working!!! Panic set in as I called my husband to come take a look and do whatever he could to fix the problem and FAST! I
