The air is filled with Christmas music. The ads pop up on the computer screens advertising potential gifts. The mail is filled with tantalizing invitations to spend money. All of this is to get us into the swing of the season. Supposedly to bring Christmas joy. The real reason for the season often takes a back seat to all the frenetic frenzy. There is a series called The Chosen that will soon come out with its third season. You can…
Someone sent this to me and I wanted to share it with you. It is from someone named Brant Hansen and was from his 2019 FaceBook page. “Mangers are odd little things. They’re feeding troughs, of course. In ancient Israel, they were made of stone. They’re not super-comfortable, but you know what? In a pinch, they can be kind of protective. That’s why experts -priests who lived near Bethlehem, near a hill known for raising sacrificial lambs- would put lambs…
In preparation for a talk on my book Hard Times in the Heartland last weekend at the Kimberling City, Missouri Library, Meet the Author Festival, I needed to find the letters my dad wrote to Mom and I during WW II. I hunted from the attic to the basement. The longer I looked the more frustrated I became. Had I thrown them away by accident when everything was in total disarray when my house received a new update last year? To…
I awoke early the other morning with the first line of a poem in my head. When this happens, I can’t roll over and go back to sleep without forgetting the phrase. This is the poem that followed when I sat at the computer. Jesus More than a babe in a manger. The King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. The promised Messiah. God with skin on. The Word of God who created the world. The One Who…
Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus as: He is the radiance of His (God’s) glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Several years ago after contemplating that scripture I wrote this poem. Jesus is God . . . with a face; come to earth to show us His grace. Creator, Sovereign, Sacrifice; the Only way to…
I don’t pretend to know the truth in the Kavanaugh case, but I know the One who does. The Judge of the whole earth. All I can do is pray for His truth to come forth; for evil to fail and right prevail. A few days ago I received an instant message from a praying friend that asked me to pray Psalm 40 for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Several phrases jumped out at me as I prayed through that Psalm. For…
I begin a new grief class this next week offered by Hospice House using writing as an aid to working through the process of my new normal after losing my husband, Vic, in April. In June, we would have celebrated 56 years of marriage. I never cease to be amazed at God’s timing. I’m a wee bit behind in my daily devotional reading of New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp. His entry for June 24 reads, “Grief is good…
Recently I had an opportunity to visit Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake near Branson, MO for a wedding. Through a front gate, along a winding road, then a scenic ride on a shuttle, brought us to the site of the wedding. At the end of a long underground walkway we emerged to see this magnificent site set in a reflecting pool overlooking Table Rock. To the left of The End of the Trail sculpture sat…
I’m amazed at Jesus’ sufficiency for every situation as I walk this new path of widowhood. When I need tax advice, a trusted, competent advisor appears. When I am faced with questions about the farm and its daily operations, He provides people in the know. When I need energy to clean out a grossly overly cluttered garage, He supplies the motivation, a dear sister-in-law to help, and willing hands to carry off the unneeded plunder. When I need to…
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. When God calls us to cast our burdens on Him, it’s not a little toss of a ball. “Cast” means “to hurl, fling.” I see this word cast as a top-notch pitcher throwing his fastest knuckleball. God’s attention is riveted on us, ready to catch anything that is a burden to us. We aren’t to hold on to…