A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. ~Psalm 68:5-6 NIV After my horse Frank’s mother died, he was very lonely. He needed a new family. Frank and his mother had spent ten years together and formed their own family unit. Now, she was gone, and he was alone. He moped about for weeks and seemed to lose all interest in life. When let out of the … Continue reading →
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ~Matthew 7:7-8 NIV With the coming of spring, green grass emerged in our corral once more, and we stopped feeding hay to the livestock. It was time for them to forage for themselves again. Over the winter, … Continue reading →
Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ~1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV As spring approached and the days warmed, the deep snow in the dog’s yard disappeared flake by flake. With its demise, the hidden became increasingly apparent. Bright colors shone through, and shapes materialized. Dog toys galore, buried beneath the mantle of white, emerged one by one. The … Continue reading →
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ~Mathew 7:7-8 NIV The Hunt at Easter Easter morning is always an exciting and bustling time within our household as my granddaughters search for Easter eggs. Parents have cleverly hidden these goodies, and the girls must search diligently to … Continue reading →
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. ~Isaiah 64:6 NIV As I watch television, my hands are often busy crocheting baby blankets. Over the years, some of these blankets have gone to individuals, while others have gone to groups and churches. The ones I remember best, however, went to an orphanage in … Continue reading →
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. ~Hebrews 6:19 NIV The windstorm was fierce. I was thankful for the anchor. The Storm The howling awoke me from a sound sleep. As I lay cozy under the blankets, I heard a loud roaring and flapping, like some huge carpet shaken in the heavens. I rose and ventured outside to see where the noise was coming from. Everything seemed fine. Since the noise had decreased, I … Continue reading →
Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. ~Isaiah 61:3 NIV It was a cold winter’s day. So cold that I debated going for my daily walk with the dogs, worrying that it would be too frigid for their feet. Nevertheless, they were all anxious to get outside, so off we went. As we trudged around the snowy path, I … Continue reading →
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ~Ephesians 4:2 NIV My granddaughters love the pancakes I make and request them for breakfast whenever they stay overnight, which is frequently. Since I make the batter from scratch, the girls are always anxious to help by fetching ingredients and stirring the mixture. One day, seven-year-old Ade asked if she could try making the batter. Ade is a bit like a hummingbird: never still and always moving … Continue reading →
My manager always knew that I needed a school bus route of my own, rather than using me as a spare driver who filled in when other drivers could not do their route. But I have no sense of direction. So, when I was sent to another driver’s route, I would always get lost unless I had previously driven the course several times and knew the direction. Fortunately, with spiritual direction, life is much easier because the Holy Spirit is … Continue reading →
My dogs and I try to walk every day. Some days, I find that we seem to fly around our route. Our time passes quickly and pleasantly and is over all too soon. But on other days, it’s more like the trudge. The Oxford dictionary defines the word trudge as to walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of exhaustion or harsh conditions. Exhaustion or harsh conditions can slow down our physical walk and also our soul’s journey. When … Continue reading →
