All Posts

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life." ~ John 3:16 I lived with my parents while working on my undergraduate degree. When I moved into my own apartment after I finished college, it was the first time I was without my parents for more than ten days and I quickly became terribly homesick . It was January. The joy of Christmas was over and I had no friends in the city. My pare

"The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of weatlh choke the word, making it unfruitful." ~ Matthew 13:22 This passage from Matthew has always terrified me. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder , which means anxiety is a constant in my life. My brain is hardwired to worry. Does this mean I won't be fruitful? Will the worries of this life choke the word in me? They don't have to. I have a say in

"Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!' He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." ~ Matthew 8:24-26 A massive winter storm is heading my way as I type. I have plenty of food, water, kerosene for the emergency heater, and power banks

"...I always pray with joy... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 1:4,6 Twice in my adult life I've had anxiety and panic attacks knock my legs out from under me. The first time it happened as I was nearing menopause in 2022. My therapist credited the fluctuating hormones for kicking the panic up as high as it went, but I actually credit God for letting it get the better of

"Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." ~ Isaiah 7:11 God has given us plenty of signs of his love for us - most notably, the gift of his son , Jesus, through whom we have eternal life. We have no need of another sign of God's presence; nonetheless, he leaves proof of himself and his love for creation all around us. Thanks be to God! We are not always aware of these signs, especially when we are distracted by earthly cares.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." ~ Psalm 27:14 Patience has never been one of my strengths. When I've done the MBTI, or Myers Briggs assessment , I am an SJ, meaning I prefer Sensing and Judging. One characteristic of SJs is acting quickly to solve a problem - we see what's wrong, get initial data, and act quickly on solving the problem as the data indicates. An example of this can be needing to buy a car. The SJ type of person will feel th

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" ~ Esther 4:14 God has a plan for each of us. Our lives matter to countless others, even if we never see how. I have been blessed, on rare occasions, to get glimpses of the ways God used me as his vessel to answer someone else's prayers. The

"When we realize how vast and beautiful the creation is, we are learning about the Creator at the same time." ~ Wisdom of Solomon 13:5 I don't understand why people think science, nature, and mathematics all exist independent of God. Everything points to the Creator. I started college thinking I would major in English and become a teacher. Math had never been of interest to me in high school - not much was, outside of friends and having fun - but once I started math in colleg

"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ' I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way.'" ~ Mark 1:2 My mother shared with me her suspicion that Dad was developing dementia while we were at lunch one afternoon in 2017. She started the conversation by stating that she didn't want him driving into the city anymore because he "wasn't as sharp as he used to be." They traveled a fair amount both locally and long-distance, having fun exploring and, for Dad, doi

Crying is a healthy way to release hard emotions like grief.

"So I realized that all we can do is be happy and do the best we can while we are still alive. All of us should eat and drink and enjoy what we have worked for. It is God's gift." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 I was a Girl Scout for most of my young life. I enjoyed every minute. We went camping, explored the beach , had lock-ins at the science museum . It was great. Our troop leaders were always coming up with new things to try and we were always up for the experience. One Christma

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you." ~ Luke 11:9 Grief is unsettling, to say the least. As one of Dad's live-in caregivers, my days and nights were laid out according to his schedule, his needs. I knew exactly who I was at any given moment: his caregiver. I started a new job a week after Dad died. I thought it was a great opportunity and I would be happy there. It wasn't great and I wasn't happy.

"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?'" ~ Luke 12: 20 My father enjoyed stuff. He was a hard-core genealogist and had books, newspapers, magazines, photographs, silhouettes, and anything else that might remotely relate to one or more of our ancestors. He vacationed in cemeteries, collecting information for the family tree that now has over 250, 000 names in it. If an

"...'Pardon me, my lord, as surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.'..." ~ 1 Samuel 1: 26-28 Hannah is a woman of the Bible whom I admire greatly. She not only believed the Lord would answer her prayer, she also accepted the gift God gave in response as just that - a gift. She pra

All marriages have their ups and downs. Mine is no different. I realize, however, the downs are all on me.

Why do I even worry? Jesus has my back. I need only to lift up my concerns to him and do that which he directs me to do.

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." ~ 1 John 1:5 I love photography. A great photo is all about light : how the light touches the subject, how soft the light is, how much light is in the frame. Is it any wonder that I love this way of showcasing light? God, who is light itself, is present all around us. All photos capture some of God's presence in the way they capture the light. Black and white ph