Can you believe it’s less than two weeks till Christmas? Before we know it, the clock will strike midnight, and 2022 will be upon us. Are you ready?
One of my favorite things to do at Christmastime is drive around and look at the lights. From city parks to downtown Oklahoma City to local neighborhoods, I like to explore and see them all. Continue reading “Be the Light”
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mt. 6:19–20)
When I was in high school, one of my teachers encouraged all of us students to go to college and earn a degree in case we married and experienced one of the three Ds: death, divorce, or disability. She strongly advocated that we all—boys and girls alike—needed to be able to support ourselves should the worst happen.
Her prompting isn’t why I went to college, but it did confirm what I already knew—investing in myself and my future was a smart thing to do, and I’ve never forgotten that lesson. Continue reading “Investing in the Future”
“God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good…” (Gen. 1:25)
My brother and his wife have a soft spot for animals. They are not just cat people or dog people, but they love all animals, and their house is full of adopted cats and dogs of all sizes. I, on the other hand, am a dog person, as anyone who reads my blog and knows me personally can attest. I tolerate cats, but most of my affection is reserved for my Yorkie companion, Lilly.
When a friend asked if I could help find homes for his mom’s cats (she was moving out of state), I was willing to help as long as I didn’t have to take one in myself. He found homes for all but one sweet, laid-back, coal-black cat, and he asked if my parents would take care of him. Since they live in a neighborhood with many cats roaming around, they agreed. Continue reading “Lessons Learned from a Cat”
“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?”
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thess 5:11)
Some people don’t like celebrating or even acknowledging their birthdays, but I’ve never been that way. I view my birthday as an opportunity to connect with friends and family. It’s a time for introspection. It’s a time for fun. And in August 2020, during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m reflecting on the birthday memory that stands out the most.
One of my most vivid birthday memories is from a couple of decades ago. (How did I get so old?!) My Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul short story, “The Birthday Surprise,” is about my twentieth birthday, when I lived in Germany with my then-husband, who was in the US Army. I had been there about three months and hadn’t met many women yet. My husband was being sent on maneuvers for a few days, so I planned to spend the day alone, thousands of miles from family and friends, feeling sorry for myself. (I know, it wasn’t my finest moment.) Continue reading “A Birthday Memory”