Whiter than snow, Lord, whiter than snow. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Wherever you live in the USA, you’ve been aware of the great snow storm. You have likely been part of preparations, predictions, and in much of the country, its fulfillment. Before it hit, stores filled with people and shelves […]
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“He hit me first,” little arms cross in defiance, and little legs plant firmly. No retreat without a struggle. These are days grown ups brawl and pick sides, while firmly clinging to their own righteousness and good intentions. Mud slings and voices shout in the name of compassion and justice, while all of it escalates […]
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A white board hangs on one of the walls of our basement. On it scribblings mark the agenda of the day, that is, those perceived as most important through the eyes of the last grandchild to have passed there. Until of course, another comes along to wipe it clean. A list of games, many invented […]
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When we lived in Italy, going to the American Embassy was always kind of a big deal. We needed to have papers and identification in order. We prepared. Despite our home country’s flag and passports in hand, walking into that imposing building, always brought a mixture of solemnity, pride, and respect. Guards flanked the doors, […]
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“Just do what’s right today,” my husband’s voice said into my ear. The cell phone pressed hard against me, as if the very pressure could somehow put his words into my being. But doing right that long-ago day, felt like a calling above my capabilities. Beyond all reasonable expectations. Utterly impossible. 2025’s Christmas wrapping paper […]
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Growing up we called it the “Mennonite game.” Within a short span of meeting someone new, we somehow managed to find a connecting relative within a massive tangle of roots. When one of our daughters was in college, she spent some months in Africa where a simple greeting turned into a rather long and involved […]
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An angel appeared. A virgin conceived. Thousands of miles away a ruler declared a census. Like a drum roll of Sovereign timing and unstoppable happenings, the wheels of prophecy turned. With purpose. Sudden. Dramatic. And uprooting. The virgin, blessed and chosen was destined for a sword to pierce her soul. The King of Christmas was […]
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Every year for the last five years my three youngest grandchildren have come to our house in December for Starry Night. The idea birthed in 2020 when the “Christmas Star” appeared. It was the first time in nearly 800 years two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, aligned. We turned it into a bit of an outdoor […]
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Long before America created an overflowing and beautifully sophisticated Thanksgiving table, thanksgiving was a thing. Before pilgrims gathered around a rough wood hewn table, or a sweet row of little hands clasped in prayer at my own table, thanksgiving was a thing. The Israelites in the wilderness didn’t do so well with the concept of […]
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In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) Last weekend I picked up my grandson’s big fat backpack to throw over my shoulder. It got the upper hand. I mean, it was half my height, thick, and heavy. How in the world does […]
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