In a recent pickleball clinic the coach told us that we if we found ourselves at the kitchen line "banging" with our opponents (meaning, a fast exchange) and losing control of the point, we needed to reset. In all racket sports, this word is important. In tennis, it might mean hitting a defensive lob or... Continue Reading →
BEHOLD!
Here in South Florida many homes have a sliding glass door leading from the interior of the home to a screened-in lanai. The other night, my husband invited me to sit with him in the lanai. Though it was a beautiful evening, I am not the best at being still and quiet. And I could... Continue Reading →
Walking by Faith
My grandson is learning to walk. As he toddles forward, he pauses every few steps to clap for himself. He is also fond of holding a yellow microfiber cloth while walking, as one never knows when the floor might need cleaning. For me, the funniest sight is when he drops the cloth and tries to... Continue Reading →
Our Inner Emily and How to Live in the Present
My eighth grade English teacher had us read the play, Our Town by Thornton Wilder. Mr. Greco was trying to teach us how to identify the theme, or the author’s message - that which lies beyond the mere retelling of a plot. My thirteen year-old brain, which up to this point had leaned toward Betty... Continue Reading →
BIG Surprise!
My 3-year old granddaughter came home from her first day of preschool and announced with great delight, "Mama, BIG Surprise!" She then reached down the neck of her dress and pulled out a family photograph - the same photograph that she had brought to school that morning and was supposed to leave at school, at... Continue Reading →
On Waiting
I'm holding out a treat out for our six-month old puppy who sits with great expectation. (Did you know there are "high stakes treats"? For Lena, it's a morsel of smoked chicken.) But then comes the challenge. "STAAAAY!!" I back away and stare her down while counting slowly. Our goal is five. But Lena loses... Continue Reading →
Big Love
"Where's the Big Love?" Lena, our new puppy, responds to this prompt with kisses and the occasional love bite. She is gradually learning to restrain her puppy teeth and lick our outstretched hands, in exchange for more petting and loving on our part. (Each day there is more of her to love, as groomer appointments... Continue Reading →
A Celebration of Weakness
When God told Moses that he was the one God had chosen to lead the Israelites out of slavery and into the promised land, how did Moses respond? He basically countered God with everything he had. Who was he to do such a thing? He had spent the last few decades as a lowly shepherd... Continue Reading →
Post-It Notes and Mailbox Prayers
Sometimes we are reminded of God's presence through a brilliant sunset, a waterfall, the moon emerging amid a starry backdrop. Other times these reminders are more obscure, intended just for us Yesterday I was walking our new puppy through our new neighborhood feeling, well, new. Friendships have been slow to develop and family is in... Continue Reading →
God Sent Me a Card
Well, not exactly. On a recent Sunday afternoon an Amazon box was plopped at our front door. When I opened it, I was disappointed. I meant to order a box of individual note cards with Bible verses on them. Instead, what Amazon thought I wanted was one single giant card with one giant verse. I... Continue Reading →
Where is he?
“Thank you for this food. Thank you for our family. And thank you for being with us." I placed a bowl of mixed vegetables and chicken nuggets in front of my three-year-old granddaughter. “WHERE IS HE?“ she demanded. She looked around the kitchen as if to find God sitting on a nearby bar stool. “Well,... Continue Reading →
A Trust Fall
Last Sunday during church, Wendy (pseudonym) leaned over to me and whispered a prayer request. Her three-month old grandson was in the hospital, struggling with a respiratory virus. "Please pray!" Then she did something unexpected. She put her hand over her mouth and said these words into her hand, "Lord, I trust you for baby... Continue Reading →
Held
Natalie Grant has a song called Held which reminds us that even when life is at its lowest, we have the promise of the hand of God holding us up. When I am feeling low, I think of verses that support this message. In Isaiah 41, God declares, "For I am the LORD, your God... Continue Reading →
Foundations
It was October 12, 1964, and we had just moved from Long Island to Jupiter, Florida. I was a fourth grader at Palm Beach Day School, some 45 minutes from our home, struggling to make friends among the self-assured girls with their beachy blond hair (mine being brown and with bangs cut by my mother... Continue Reading →
Reflections During a Recent Bout with Covid
Moody radio has given its listeners a summer challenge. Each week you try to memorize a verse of the Bible. This week's verse is from Colossians. "Therefore, as you received Christ, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." I... Continue Reading →
Shadows and Shelters 