Articles
Devotional: Countless Blessings
I can really relate to John 21:25! "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." Journaling is like breathing to me. I love to write down as...
Resource: Strong Families
Posted December 2019. I would like to recommend www.StrongFamilies.com (which has wonderful resources for improving relationships). In particular, the books: The Two Sides of Love by Dr. John Trent & Gary Smalley The Blessing by Dr. John Trent, Gary Smalley, &...
A Matter of Perspective
I like to get up early for a time of prayer and Bible reading, while the world is quiet and still. One morning, I was enjoying that quiet until a group of crows started cawing loudly outside my window. My first response was to be annoyed, but then I decided they were...
Encourage One Another
"...encourage one another and build each other up..." 1 Th 5:11 If God puts it on your heart to encourage someone, do it. They may need a love touch at that moment, and you might be surprised to discover that you need one, too! I once wrote to one of our daughters...
When in Doubt, Pray
There are some lessons I need to be frequently reminded of. One of those is to take time to pray when I'm unsure about something. A typical example is that I'll be writing to someone and I'm about to say something, but then I wonder if I should. I may think I have...
Know Your Listener
Since we all have different backgrounds and personalities, our needs may differ, as well. Something that's beneficial for me may not be beneficial to the person I'm talking to. I'll share an example. I'm a very meditative type of person. I often reflect on past...
Don’t Compare or Judge
In 1995, our family went to see the movie, "The Lion King." We had various reactions to certain parts of the movie. One child was frightened by certain scenes and chose to leave. I was also bothered by those scenes and left with her. When we came back for the rest of...
Compassionate Joy
This past year (2019), Tom and I have had the privilege of hosting a 19-year-old German missionary, Michelle. She has been a beautiful role model in compassionate joy. One small way this was in evidence was during our Skip Bo card games. Instead of being competitive,...
Be Sensitive First, Then Honest
A failure on my part reminded me to monitor my initial reactions to an unpleasant experience. Thankfully, my insensitivity didn't bother my husband Tom as much as I feared it had, but I'm always striving to improve. My husband wasn't feeling well, so he opted out of a...
Distractions and Insensitivity
Being focused on a problem can cause us to be insensitive. In 2019, I fell into this trap. My husband and I had two of our grandchildren (ages 6 and 5) over for a few days. On their final day, the kids and I ran a few errands together. (Tom was away at a conference...
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