He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
My son and daughter-in-law have an endearing way of waking their twins up from a nap or a night's sleep. They gently knock on the bedroom door and pause before entering. Even when the girls were infants, they knocked first, and I half expected one of the babies to announce, "Come in!" It reminds me... Continue Reading →
Do you remember the Brady Bunch episode where Jan complains, "All I hear around here is Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" She can't stand that her perfect older sister gets all the attention. Martha, a close friend of Jesus, is a bit like Jan Brady. She is slaving away in the kitchen, preparing a meal for Jesus... Continue Reading →
The documentary, 100 Foot Wave, depicts the quest of certain surfers to find and ride the biggest waves on the planet. At one point in the film, they describe what it's like when you fall off the board and are churned by a monster wave, not knowing when the blender will spurt you out. You... Continue Reading →
We were driving home from visiting family when I realized my phone was not in my purse. It was exactly where I had left it - on a coffee table next to my adorable grand babies who were adorned in full princess attire and whom I was trying to video. "Should we go back?" my... Continue Reading →
Last year our Bible teacher shared a video showing sheep responding to the voice of their shepherd. When other shepherds tried to lure them, not one in the herd even glanced up from grass-munching. But how they baa-ed when a familiar voice called their name. And not only that, they trotted over, forgetting the enticement... Continue Reading →
My two-year old granddaughter was settling into her crib for a midday nap. Hop, the bunny, was in her arms and she was wrapped into her zippy sleep sack. Her mom had just finished reading Winnie the Pooh's Honey Trouble and we were tiptoeing out of the room, when her sleepy voice proclaimed, "Too much..."... Continue Reading →
I really wanted to honk.The light was green and the SUV in front of me was not moving. The driver must be texting. I was late for an appointment and my blood pressure was rising. I decided to ever so gently tap-tap the horn, but as I did so a jarring honk blasted forth. And... Continue Reading →
I can't sing. Really, I can't. Some people say that and then belt out Happy Birthday on key and pitch perfect (whatever those phrases mean). I on the other hand open my mouth and something other than singing comes out. I first became aware of not being a music prodigy when my fourth grade class... Continue Reading →
When I was in high school, I fancied myself an intellectual by reading (skimming, really) the existentialist authors of the day, John Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. At the wise age of 17, I pondered the big questions of life and spirituality and soon it was clear I had it all figured out. I began... Continue Reading →
"Can I have a running hug?" The toddler looks up from her toy box, turns to her dad, and then runs with wild abandon into his open arms. She is lifted up, held tight, and rocked. It lasts but a moment, as toddlers are notoriously busy and she squirms to resume her investigation at hand... Continue Reading →
I was 10 years old... too old for a babysitter (I thought) but too young to be left alone in the evening, (so my parents thought.) They went to dinner parties at least three times a week, leaving me with our senior border collie, Shep, who barked at nothing and emitted gross smells of which... Continue Reading →
I just received a precious gift. Rosemarie's Bible. My effervescent mother in law, passed away from Covid in early January and we remain in a state of disbelief and grief. But holding her Bible reminds me how this dear woman lived a life of love and left a legacy of faith. Leather bound and in... Continue Reading →
Sludging through the snowy street under a gray sky, I tried to conjure up something to be grateful for. A squirrel scurried on a branch above. Thank you, God, for that reminder of your creativity. A leftover leaf clung to the bare branch, a vestige of the prior season, unwilling to let go. Thank you,... Continue Reading →
My mother-in-law loves to tell the story of the time she took my son, age five, to see his first movie. It was Beauty and the Beast - probably not the best selection, since throughout the entire movie, Jared kept demanding in a loud husky voice, "Gwandma, where's da beast? Where's da beast?" She had... Continue Reading →
Cheryl (pseudonym) and I glanced at the wall clock in the Sunday School room. Fifteen minutes to go until the parents would return and retrieve their charges. In toddler time, that can feel like fifteen hours. We had completed our story time, our snack, our singing and free play. The craft was done and the... Continue Reading →
Shadows and Shelters 