Thanksgiving Memories

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:4-5)

As a child, my family would load up in the car and either drive across town to my grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving or drive several miles into the country to eat with my one of my dad’s siblings. No matter which side of the family we gathered with, my brother and I always had plenty of cousins to play with. Continue reading “Thanksgiving Memories”

Practicing Gratitude

This blog post was originally published on November 11, 2018.

“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)

Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.

Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude”

Embracing the Lessons of 2020

Road trip! This photo was taken in January 2020 before one of the last trips to my mom’s orthopedist.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps 18:2)

This last year has been quite a roller coaster ride. Last month marked one year since my mom fell and broke her kneecap. When the orthopedist told us an injury like hers could take up to six months to get better and a year to heal completely, I thought, That surely isn’t right. Continue reading “Embracing the Lessons of 2020”

Am I Leaving a Godly Legacy?

“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” (Ps 78:4)

We know that our time on earth is short, but we live in a culture that works hard to deny the aging process. But the fact remains that we don’t know when the end will come, and death is no respecter of persons.

This hit home for my family earlier this summer when my mom’s middle brother, David, passed away. She’s lost three of her five brothers in the last four years. Uncle David needed bypass surgery for a blockage in his heart. His body wasn’t strong enough to recover from the surgery, and he died at the hospital a week later. Continue reading “Am I Leaving a Godly Legacy?”

Cooking with Grandma

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children… (Prov 13:22)

Like everyone else, I cooked at home a lot during the quarantine. I cook a lot anyway, so things really didn’t change much in that regard. I enjoy cooking. Home cooking is healthier, and it saves money. In the past few months, I’ve perfected several recipes, tried new ones, and combined old recipes to create something new. Continue reading “Cooking with Grandma”