Devotionals

I attended a shower for a couple soon-to-be-married.  Guests enjoyed the beauty of the wrapped gifts coming in.  We talked about current day events and reminisced about that time in our lives around the various tables.  Then, it was time to watch the couple open gifts.  Lovely, practical items for setting up a new home…

Have you ever had a time when you were hearing every word that someone said but didn’t have a clue what they had said when they were finished?  You were hearing but not listening.  Sometimes, it is because we are thinking about a response to the first words they said.  We may be thinking about…

We are all on a journey through life.  Some of us like to stick to the open paths with wide spaces and clear views.  I tend to enjoy wandering the narrow, twisty mountain trails that lead to high places.  Most of the time when I go hiking, my dog, Ginger, is my companion.  In our…

I’m a planner.  I like to know what the plan is, and if there isn’t one, then I can come up with a plan.  For as long as I can remember, I always had a plan.  Some of those plans were short-term, like what I was going to do that day.  I also had long-term…

11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they…

I’ll be content when _____________ .  All of us can probably relate to a time when we’ve said words like that.  I’ll be content when my income reaches a certain level, or my bank accounts are a predetermined amount, or when I have that house or car or relationship . . .  The list goes…

When I was a teenager, I procrastinated doing the loads of laundry that my mom asked me to wash and dry.  We were preparing to leave for a youth trip, and it never occurred to me that if I didn’t do the laundry before leaving, she’d stay home to do it.  I just figured it…

One of the costs of love is loss.  With loss comes grief. Grief is a strange process.  There are moments of joy in the remembrance, lack of hope in not having control, despair in the loss, alternating acceptance and denial of the reality of the situation, anger in the outcome or even the process.  We…

It has been a day! It started at about 2:00 a.m. with our aging dog requiring extra assistance for the remainder of the wee hours.  Of course, it was also our oldest daughter’s birthday, and I needed to be up hanging birthday decorations to “surprise” her when she woke.  This has become a family tradition,…

We have resumes and CVs, degrees and certifications – things that we promote to others that tell them we are qualified to do the work that they need done.  Even if you are applying for a job that says “no experience required”, they want to know what skills or abilities you have to see if…