hope

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A Gift From God; Purpose

  • June 23, 2020
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Having purpose is Something I used to ponder, especially when I was little. How could something, maybe small or usually forgotten have a very important purpose or reason for existence? You hear it a lot when talking about mosquitos or other nuisances. Normally, people are quick to question why such a creature should ever live, even if they never knew how it could contribute to life. But what I believe is interesting, and something we should all think about often,...

“Old” Friends…the best medicine

  • June 10, 2020
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This past weekend was spent cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, decorating, giving directions, driving (a lot), buying groceries, making lists, 97,382 steps, running errands, finding people, cutting cakes, making punch, Sonic runs, steaming dresses, pinning boutonnieres, wiping up spills, asking favors, and a myriad of other tasks.  It was also spent visiting, laughing, catching up, hugging (sorry – no social distancing for me), staying up late with feet in the pool just talking, eating meals in the midst of great conversation,...

Planting Seeds of Forgiveness…

  • May 5, 2020
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When Joseph’s brothers saw their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”  So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’  Now please forgive the sins of the...

A New Beginning Is Coming…

  • April 14, 2020
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A New Beginning Is Coming… “Brothers and sister, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 a few thoughts that have been drifting about… Any way you look at it the past few weeks have been challenging.  Not everyone...

COVID-19 For such a time as this

  • March 23, 2020
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In 1982, my last grandparent passed away. Bobby and I had been married a year and we were asked to clean out her apartment in a retirement community. The family had come in and picked up the china, photos, and silverware. Cousins had grabbed mementos and all that was left was “stuff”. Our family told us to keep anything we needed as a young couple and donate the rest. It sounded simple enough but the experience changed my perspective quickly....

Coronavirus can’t understand Middle Tennessee

  • March 9, 2020
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I just came home from a conference in Washington, DC plus I am an avid people watcher. This made for an intriguing week. Coronavirus blared from every TV in airports and restaurants. Newspaper headlines were hard to miss. I saw plenty of masks, empty soap dispensers, Clorox wipes atop luggage/airplane trays and many latex gloves in all strata of folks. My husband had a limit on the water he could buy for our monthly grocery run. Friends canceling overseas trips....

Finding the Quiet…

  • March 3, 2020
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A few weeks ago, I was home alone. The entire night—I was home alone.  I can’t tell you the last time that happened; it was probably over 12 years ago.   The boys went on a trip to New Orleans for the Saints playoff game and Karis was asked to spend the night at a friend’s house.  I came home to an empty house (with the exception of three donkeys, two cows, two dogs, and 20 chickens) after coaching a basketball...

Unfriended…Can we have a conversation please?

Unfriended.  My offense?  A political comment had been posted and the thread was going south quickly.  The potential for hurt feelings was very likely and the fallout could affect relationships.  I commented “you may want to consider where this thread is headed, the potential for divisiveness is high and there could be some badly hurt feelings”. For the Christian, there is absolutely no place on social media for divisiveness of any kind.  The world is watching…and often what they see...

Vulnerable….

  • January 7, 2020
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2020…thank you for coming.  I’ve been waiting for you, new year..new beginnings.  This will probably be one of the more “open” blogs I’ve written.  2019 was a hard year.  In fact, things are just beginning to settle.  It was a year of goodbyes, sadness, exhaustion, feeling out of control, and questioning.  It was also a year of faith building, hope, trust, perseverance and growth. Each year I choose a word to focus on, study and strive to plant into my...

When Advent meets Emmanuel and cries Maranatha

  • December 18, 2019
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The Christmas of 1986 will always be my foundation of faith. I can’t ever remember not believing in God as a child. My grandmother made sure I was in the pews in her arms. I was a member of the youth group, went to a Christian college, married a strong Christian man and by December of 1986 had two beautiful babies and a third on the way. Life was really good and in hindsight going to change into something I...