The book of Psalms in the Bible gives great comfort. Throughout the poetic words there is a plea for God’s help and acknowledgement of his love and mercy. The Psalms offer both lament and worship. Here is one of my favorite verses as recorded in the Complete Jewish Bible. You…
This week my daughter called me with anguish. She and her husband have a difficult situation with their adopted son. I listened and my heart hurt for her. She was looking for advice and I had little to offer. I said her father and I would pray, and we did.…
Elba Iris Pérez has written an engaging novel about an immigrant family, The Things We Didn’t Know. The story takes us to Woronoco, Massachusetts and to Puerto Rico. The main character is a young girl who must find her identity as Puerto Rican and American. Andrea, came to Massachusetts with…
Last night we attended our granddaughter’s graduation from high school. Each speaker mentioned the pandemic because these students spent their freshman year at home. Their classes were online. But they persevered and are now celebrated for their achievement. I am proud of my granddaughter’s hard work! My thoughts returned to…
Cultures collide on the frontier. Linda Ulleseit’s novel, The River Remembers, is a story set in the Michigan territory during the 1830s and 1840s. Three main characters—each from a different ethnic group—move the story forward. Day Set is a Dakota Indian. Harriet is a Black slave. Samantha is White, a sister…
When troubles swirl around, I find some peace and rest in prayer (alone and with family), in the beauty of nature and in time spent with children. The curiosity and joy that children have is infectious. We have been spending time in New Mexico, visiting our son’s family. Flowers seem…
It is a gray morning. We have had four days of rain and snow. I am thankful for the daffodils that give a little sunshine. I have been thinking about my grandchildren. My daughters are in the process of making decisions for the next school year. Over the past few…
Last week we were in Kansas. The sky was blue with some puffy white clouds and trees were beginning to unfurl their leaves. Blossoms were opening. This morning (back home) I woke up to the ground covered in snow and snowflakes still falling. The joy of spring. The return of winter.…
When I was growing up, we usually had cardamom in the house—a spice necessary for a Finnish coffee bread, nisu. On special occasions my mother made nisu, and eventually I learned to make it. Cardamom grows only in tropical and subtropical zones. It is curious that it is a popular spice in…
We live in a challenging time. There are many distractions and deceptions in social media. Do you worry about the influence of our culture on children and grandchildren? I do. What can we do? As we seek God through prayer and His word, He will guide us. When you pass…