One of the hardest parts of watching people age is seeing a loss of strength. Most have been independent all their lives. It puts a dent in their pride to accept help in areas where they are no longer strong enough to cope. Lending a hand to help them negotiate…
There is one particular area on a route that I used to take regularly that is breathtaking on certain mornings. As the fog is lifting from the river valley, the cattle are grazing in the fields covered in dew. The bluffs above the river are barely visible, with wisps of…
You open a packet of Hot Chocolate mix, pour it in your cup, add boiling water, and stir. Not as good as homemade-from-scratch, but not bad either. Suddenly, you’re called away for something. When you return, not only is the drink cold, the flavor is now weakened. The contents of…
Have you ever been with someone who moved so slowly you almost wanted to walk FOR them?! Lagging behind is usually not a desirable outcome. Others move ahead, and the one unhurriedly strolling gets further and further behind. Sometimes a coach will encourage a player to move a little faster.…
“Keep it up!” “Atta-boy!” “Good job!” “You’re doing great!” Did you smile, reading those encouraging phrases? Hearing (reading) words of encouragement brings about smiles, grins, and lifted shoulders. Yes, when someone speaks those positive words to you, something changes in the atmosphere around you. Maybe you were feeling dejected, or…
Remembering the games of my childhood, I fondly recall playing Blind Man’s Bluff (tag), Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and Taste Test. The commonality of these games is that they require a blindfold to play. Although being blindfolded removes the sense of sight while playing, all your other senses…
One of the nastiest tasks that I volunteered to undertake at the church we pastored was to bring the aluminum cans home for recycling. You might ask how that could be nasty. All that’s necessary is to toss them in a recycling bin somewhere, right? Well, that would work, IF……
One of my favorite worship songs right now is “Looking Up,” as sung by Nashville Life, and featuring vocalist CeCe Winans. The chorus alone is worth the listen, but there are two lines that thrill my soul with HOPE : All of my problems are below You. All that I…
“Open confession is good for the soul” (Psalm 119:26). “Confessed faults are half-mended.” ~Scottish proverb “A confession has to be part of your new life.” ~Ludwig Wittgenstein Confession is — acknowledgment; avowal; admission. A declaration or statement of belief. We sometimes mistakenly believe a confession is the revealing of secret…