You’ll Be Glad You Wrote Them Down
Many of you know from your own experience how I’ve been feeling, especially the last couple of days. I miss our daughter Bethany very much. Bear with me please, as I bear my soul. The fourth verse of “Does Jesus…
Category Making a Child Feel Loved
Prepared to Use the Gifts God Gave Them
A young college educated friend has shared his career struggles recently. For a while, he worked in sales of an essential building material. Feeling a sense of shame because it was not the career in the helping profession he had…
Child of Mine, I Am Pleased with You
While researching art to illustrate the life of Jesus, I have found many works depicting Jesus and John the Baptist as children. Madonna and Child with Saints Elizabeth and John the Baptist, after 1606, by Italian artist Annibale Carracci, courtesy…
The Gift of Consequences
When we came back home to Tennessee in 1993, we moved to Cookeville for Ray to serve as a minister. We had yet to find a house, so a sweet member of our new church invited us to stay with…
How We See Our Children and Others
Several years ago, our then-three-year-old grandson (who now is now 11) asked me if he could fix my hair. Of course, I said, “Yes.” I sat down, and he climbed up behind me with his big sister’s hair stuff bin.…
The Best Bouquets
We were excited when our mowers arrived one day last week. I had been enjoying the lilac blooms, the blooms coming up from bulbs, and even the raindrops on the lilies that aren’t ready to bloom yet. I even thought…