“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…”
These are very familiar words for those of us who grew up “in the church”. This summer, I’ve been looking a bit more closely at these verses, straining to see past the known and receive a fresh perspective on what it might look like to really view the Lord as a Shepherd and myself as His sheep. But since it is summer, my schedule looks a little different and I have found my study time often…
If you are looking to start a conversation with a groan, just mention going to the dentist. (I groaned just typing this sentence.) According to once source, up to 75% of Americans possess some form of “dentophobia” ranging from mild to severe. Even if you don’t mind a trip to the dentist (and I do mind, thank you very much) you know exactly what to expect once you are settled into the chair with that funny little napkin chained to your neck. The next words you…
I’ve never been able to boast that I am much of a gardener, which is disappointing given how much I like flowers and like having them both inside and outside of my house. But a green thumb I have not and I am sure to kill a large portion of the flowers that I grow.
Also, I’ve never been able to boast that I am fond of tomatoes, which is mostly disappointing to others because I am Italian and people expect Italians to like tomatoes. But…
After a recent dry spell, an unexpected rain shower blew through town. Knowing our son was out to eat with his girlfriend, my husband called to warn him the roads could be slick. We didn’t know it at the time but our almost grown son who has been driving for years was a bit offended by that warning. Later that week though, he shared with us that right after he left the restaurant, he saw two cars lose control on the oil slicked roads and he…
Apparently many things are in a name because people go to great lengths to find the perfect name for the objects of their affection- the things and the people they love. Cars, computers, iPhones, pets, and of course, people, are all given names that are filled with meaning. And actually, assigning a name to something or someone, is a sure fire way to become forever attached to it.
Many people do a lot of research in order to select the right name for their children. Which…
Over the course of the last several years the way we travel has changed significantly. Long gone are the days we could carelessly toss shampoo, hairspray, and lotions in our bags. Now every item must be downsized and carefully measured into three-ounce containers and if you are smart, you will label each and every one of these containers identifying what’s inside. Recently as I packed for a trip, I poured and scooped and measured but I failed to label every item. So upon my arrival,…
Is there something you really want to do but know you shouldn’t? I was asked that question the other day and I really didn’t know how to answer it. My mind went to thoughts of things that might be illegal, sinful, or fattening, like insider trading, giving someone a piece of my mind, or eating a vanilla and chocolate twist ice cream cone while dipping a soft pretzel into it. And then it dawned on me that what I really wanted to do but knew…
Finally! It seems that spring has arrived here in the Northeast and for this Southern belle, not a moment too soon. A few weeks ago, my mother was visiting and she pointed out the vivid yellow of the forsythia bushes and said, “We call those February bushes back home.” I suppose they are “April bushes” in this part of the country. But spring coming brings with it the consequences of a bitter winter and for all my folks “back home” in Mississippi, the…
It is that time of year again when many are concerned about dropping even the slightest excess weight so as to prepare for the summer season of wearing lighter and lesser clothing. How easy it is to pick up the weight along the way and yet how not so easy to shed it!
But sometimes we pick up weight during the year that has nothing to with physical baggage but everything to do with spiritual pounds that slow down the running of the race in which God has…
Do you have someone in your life you love to be “near”? Someone whose presence is such a delight to you that when sitting near them, you want to scoot just a little bit closer? When I was a little girl, my grandmother was that person for me. I just couldn’t get close enough to her. She was like a magnet for my heart and I loved her fiercely. Sometimes she would ease down onto the couch and say, “Come over here and sit…