The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not healing, nor curing… that is a friend who cares.
~Henri Nouwen

These past three months have been very difficult for me on many different levels – emotionally, spiritually, and physically.  Through it all, I have come to realize that I could not have done this alone.  I could not have faced those moments of despair and tremendous anxiety without a… Read More

For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love to serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  Galatians 5 13-14, KJV

This freedom which God has given to us is also known as free will.  Along with free will comes the ability to make our very own decisions, and accept the consequences of those decisions.  Along with freedom, comes responsibility.  As George Bernard Shaw said, “Liberty means responsibility.  That is why most men… Read More

What is a “good” father? I like Billy Graham’s definition the best:  A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.

Without fathers, where would we be?

During this current crisis in my little family, my husband has once again proven what a truly wonderful father he is. His job has always been to protect his “little” girls, and he is trying his hardest to do just that right now. Both of us

“What do girls do who haven’t any mothers
to help them through their troubles?”
~Louisa May Alcott

I lost my mother when I was at the very vulnerable age of 14. Throughout the rest of my tumultuous and painful teenage years and on into young adulthood, I had to find my own way through the maze without a mother’s tender touch, or her wisdom, or her love, or even her nagging and preaching. I was a lost and sad little soul for so long.

So, to answer the question above from… Read More

As I am writing this column about springtime, a blizzard is swirling, hurling snow and wind against my warm and snug house. Spring seems like such a long way off. But its promises beckon me to contemplate the next season–the promise of new birth, of an awakening of the earth from the dead of winter into the aliveness of spring, of shaking away the dirt and mustiness of my life and opening up to God’s refreshing light and His promise of a new life with Him.

Spring… Read More

Twenty years ago, we were in the process of waiting for our first child to be born. We knew it was going to be a girl, and we knew exactly what her name was going to be.  The lawyer cautioned us about not preparing a room for her, because he said he had seen where adoptions fell through, and thus if that happened to us, a completed room would only be a painful reminder of not having a child.  But, my husband and I had  such peace about the process of adopting… Read More

A soft whisper speaking to my soul. A gentle tug on my heart.  A beckoning to return to Him, to seek His truth and wisdom and guidance in all ways. A quiet reminder to turn all things over to Him–to let go and let God.

The past few years, my faith has been tested on many levels. There were times I wavered, or was overcome with anxiety and fear and doubt, or was consumed with exhaustion and anger, or isolated myself from others, because I didn’t have the energy to reciprocate or give anything… Read More