• Faith

    Loud Songs of Joy

    Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Psalm 47:1 The pandemic has made it difficult for us to worship at church. In the beginning weeks of the lockdown I listened to the hymn sing led by the Getty family on Facebook. The hymns refreshed…

  • Book Reviews - Children - Faith

    Mercy in a Children’s Book

    A terrible accident took place in the hills of Switzerland. A child sustained a debilitating injury and one boy, Lucien, had provoked the accident.  This is how the story begins in Patricia St. John’s book, Treasures of the Snow. This book for children was first published in 1948. As I continued…

  • Faith - Gardening - Prayer

    The Right Life-map

    This past week I skipped my morning Bible study a couple of days. Instead I read a few articles in the newspaper at the breakfast table. The tension of our current time put my nerves on edge. I felt irritable. I drank more coffee and spent too much time on…

  • Abortion - Children - Health - Women

    Are We Making Progress?

    Perhaps you saw it in the news. Two people from the Students for Life organization were arrested last Saturday for writing with chalk on the side walk outside of a Planned Parenthood building in Washington D.C. What did they write? Preborn Black Lives Matter. Remember that the Mayor authorized the…

  • Marriage

    Respect in Marriage

    Marriage is a refining relationship, My husband and I are in our 44th year of marriage. We have had low points and high points. A number of years ago we read the book, Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs, with our small group. The book gave me pause. I understood…

  • Health - Marriage - Parenting

    Nine Tips for a Young Woman

    As a mom, grandmother and nurse What advice would I give to a young woman? Learn about life practices that support your health: nutrition, exercise, rest. Pay attention to the rhythm of your body, because your cycles give insight into your health. Don’t share your body intimately with a young…

  • Flowers - Gardening

    Joy in the Garden

    It is a challenge to grow plants from seed, but there is a reward. I am delighted by Heirloom Bells of Ireland. This is the first year I have successfully grown them. As I walked around watering plants I noticed the first calendula bloom. This heirloom tomato plant is growing…

  • Faith - Health

    Smiles Behind the Mask

    Our library is open again! Yesterday I picked out a stack of books and a few DVDs. When I went to the desk to check out, the librarian commented on my stack. “Ah.looks like you are catching up on reading.” And I responded, “Actually I had a couple thicks books…

  • Flowers - Gardening

    The Joy and Puzzle of Gardening

    One of the benefits of the pandemic has been more time for gardening. More time to enjoy beautiful blooms, more time to think about soil, fertilizer and watering. This year the peonies were especially lovely. I did try to transplant one peony plant that wasn’t getting much sunlight. The plant…

  • Faith - Marriage

    When and How to Compromise

    What comes to mind when you hear the word compromise? With the division that we see in politics, compromise doesn’t seem possible. In fact the divisiveness is so bitter that I have to limit my intake of news. I have been musing on this today. Certainly in marriage my husband…