“I miss our old church,” my husband said, “especially the music.” “You do?” I said. “Yes.” “But you never participated….” “Yes I did.” “How so?” “I’d pray and say, ‘Lord I’m here. If You want to come and sit with me, I would like that.” “Did He sit with you?” My husband looked upward, “Sometimes… And I miss that.” I had misjudged my husband—badly! During services he never took notes; I took copious notes—and organized them. After services, when the … Continue reading →
The reflection of blue lights flashed in my rear-view mirror. Embarrassed, I pulled over. “Ma’am, can you explain why you were speeding?” “I wasn’t paying attention.” When I got home, I looked up potential consequences: one-year revocation of license, lawyer and court costs, license points…. I felt nauseous. Rather than worrying further, I bowed, “Father God, this license is Yours to take or to give as You desire.” I called my husband, and he called our attorney. “I might get … Continue reading →
As my car crawled along the automated car wash track, my thoughts drifted to times past, when my husband and I would take our children through the car wash for the express purpose of playing, “Watch the Bubbles.” “Daddy, my bubble is racing yours!” our son would say. “Mine is turning swishy circles!” our daughter would say. I stroked my silver-steaked hair and prayed, “God, my children are grown, so why do I still want to watch bubbles?” Just then, … Continue reading →
“We should name him Nemo,” I teased as we lowered our goldfish into the backyard pond. But then, there were those two cute dots on his tail. “How about Duce?” my husband suggested. “Perhaps Dos?” I countered. And so, it was decided; his name would be Ducy-Dos. We were happy and so was our goldfish, but that changed the day of the accident. While we were cleaning the pond, Ducy-Dos tumbled into the pump housing. For weeks, I kept the … Continue reading →
I thought it would be easy to navigate my way to the expressway from my new job, but I was not familiar with the neighborhood. To further my confusion, a few street signs were missing. The only sure landmark I had was a child’s soccer ball left in a yard. After passing the ball three times, I pulled my car to the side of the road, wiped sweat from my palms, and prayed. “God, please direct me. I want to … Continue reading →
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. Zephaniah 3:17a Dad stood behind me, dabbing oil paint on the canvas. My hand rest atop his, so it felt like I was painting, but I knew who held the brush. Soon, Dad slid his hand away, and I grasped the brush. His hand was still underneath mine so I still felt confident. Before I knew it, he was smiling, with his hand to his chin. Occasionally I’d ask … Continue reading →
Delight thyself also in the LORD. Psalm 37:4 KJVa Every morning, I prepare breakfast for our dogs. I rotate between doggies, feeding them morsels from a designated fork. Occasionally, one will rise. If I say, “sit,” the dog will listen, but only if I preface this with their name. Otherwise, she assumes I’m talking to another pack member. Our senior pooch stomps during the entire breakfast. She wants to make sure I notice her. The youngest gal takes each morsel … Continue reading →
But ye are a … holy nation. 1 Peter 2:9b KJV “Mom, I fed the chickens. Here’s your sandals back,” my daughter said. “Back?” I tried to hide my dismay, “Did you wear the jeweled ones?” The odor rising from the pleather revealed the answer. “I just borrowed them quick.” I glanced at my sandals. As pretty as they were, they now had a designated purpose. I’d use them to fetch eggs or care for my hens. My jeweled sandals were … Continue reading →
My servant Job shall pray for you. Job 42:8b KJV Before sunrise, Pastor Troy unlocked the doors of Countryside Church. It was his custom to pray for the people before they arrived. He touched the back of the pew where Bessie customarily sat. “Father God, I lift Bessie to you.” A tear trickled down his cheek…. *** Outside, the sun crested as congregants arrived. Bessie asked Sue to keep a secret, “Pastor visited a liquor store.” She lifted an empty … Continue reading →
Jenny expected a visitor, so as moonbeams danced through the curtains, she welcomed the day. She opened her Bible, which was to her the best love-letter ever. “Speak to me, Lord,” she whispered. Jenny’s thought meandered to the Bible Study she’d attended two days ago. The leader had asked God to enable them to reach someone trapped in a cult religion that week. “My Jesus,” Jenny said, “Am I prepared should You choose to send this visitor to my door? What … Continue reading →
