I was getting my son's haircut at a salon. He did a great job, and afterward the hairstylist gave him a lollipop. She gave him a butterscotch one, which I have always hated. Inwardly, I was very upset at this lady. How dare she give my son the worst flavor lollipop! Did she not want to waste a good one (strawberry or watermelon) on my son!? After she gave him the lollipop, she squatted down to his level and gave him a big smile and said, "Butterscotch is my favorite flavor. I got that one just for you!" Once she said that, I was simultaneously upset at myself and touched by the woman's ... Read the Post
Iced Tea and the Holy Spirit
When I was around 8 years old, I went to a friend’s house for the first time. His mother was very pleasant and hospitable. She asked if I would like a glass of iced tea. I kindly declined, saying that I didn’t like iced tea. This woman took my words as a challenge, and she quickly went into the kitchen to brew and flavor her “special”recipe. When she handed me the beautifully prepared glass of her favorite beverage, she made sure to tell me that the tea had several different kinds of freshly squeezed fruit and plenty of spoonfuls of sugar in it. I took one sip and scrunched my nose. The ... Read the Post
The Other Woman
I love my husband. We’ve been married almost thirty years, and I still enjoy spending time with him and giggling when he teases me. Like most marriages, we’ve endured some tough times: parenting challenges, financial difficulties, job insecurities and death of friends and family members. But the toughest time came just before our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. It was quite possibly the most painful yet beautiful time in our marriage. We were in the midst of a lot of change. My husband was unemployed; I was in between jobs. Money was tight and parents were terminally ill, and my husband’s ... Read the Post
The Last Word
We are so quick to justify ourselves, to rationalize our standpoints and to have the last word. What drives us to have to prove that we are right? I was a shy person when my husband and I met, but I quickly learned to debate him on issues. In the twenty-seven years that we’ve been married, I have had periods of compromise and periods where I stood against him on every issue. I enjoy the periods of compromise much better because of the peace. However, when I argued with him, I’d bring out logical points to prove that I was educated and knew what I was talking about. Sure, I was right; but ... Read the Post
The Wounded
One day my little grandsons, Cole (age 5) and Mason (age 8), were playing with some toys in the playroom. All of a sudden, Cole started screaming, “I’m bleeding! I’m bleeding!” He held up one little finger with a tiny drop of blood on it. His brother, Mason, shouted, “Shut up Cole! Jesus was bloody all over and He didn’t cry!” After hearing this story from their mother, we all had a good laugh, but then I thought about the spiritual lesson from this story. Christians in the United States sometimes cry over the smallest of injuries, while others in third world countries have been ... Read the Post
Thinking of Others
Yesterday, I went to a Women's ministry meeting, where we exchange mugs filled with the prayer requests of another member. Each member is then committed to praying for another woman’s prayer needs for a month. I quickly wrote down all of my prayer requests that dealt with my and my families current needs and placed my list in one of the mugs. Each lady took a turn choosing a mug and looking over the list of prayers of their chosen prayer partner. By coincidence, I picked my friend Jen's mug, folded it up and placed the list in my Bible without looking at it. This morning as I sipped my ... Read the Post
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