On a recent evening walk, I noticed a neighbor’s teenager gearing up for a run. He tied his shoelaces then placed a strange contraption over his mouth and nose that reminded me of the frightening mask Hannibal Lecter wore in Silence of the Lambs. When the teenager rose after stretching, I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “Why’re you wearing that on your face? Is it for warming up the air?” I live in Florida, and a recent cold front (don’t laugh, northerners) dropped temperatures to the low forties at night. For those who reside in the Sunshine State, this is cold. He pulled off the mask ... Read the Post
The Best Candidate
“Did you have a minute to talk, ma’am?” I squinted at the bearded gentleman crossing the sidewalk. He had parked his car along the road a couple houses down, and now headed straight for me. With my hands full of weeds, sweat dripping off my brow and the bushes trimmed too short to hide behind, I had to offer a weak answer. “Sure.” What I meant was No, Thank you. As most introverts know, an unexpected visit at an inopportune time with a complete stranger is not pleasant experience. I glanced toward the backyard, where my older son mowed and my husband ran the ... Read the Post
The Sacrificial Leaf
It was a beautiful spring day in the southwest Florida ecological preserve. My sister, mom, my nephew, and my two boys and I walked leisurely along the preserve boardwalk, passing a bouquet of trees: oak, palm, Royal Palm, pine, and mangrove trees— black, white, and red. Spiders filled the empty spaces between foliage with silken threads and shimmering webs while birds squawked from high branches. Despite God's beautiful creation all around, heavy reverence filled my heart. It was the afternoon of Good Friday, the day a cross-shaped tree held my crucified Savior. "Surely He has borne ... Read the Post
The Prayer and the Affirmation
Kerry: One of the most beautiful aspects of being part of the Body of Christ is watching God work through our personal obedience. I’m learning to listen and obey that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. Often the Lord directs us to action – prayer, service, edification, encouragement – for someone else, just when that person needs it. “…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV). A couple of months ago the Holy Spirit gave me a clear directive to pray. ... Read the Post
The Video
Last fall my mom’s side of the family began preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. On December 24th, 2014, my maternal grandparents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. We decided to make a video marking this special day. My cousin recorded Grandma and Grandpa sharing how they met, details of their snowy wedding day and life on their farm (Grandpa was a farmer in Ohio for many years), and other sweet details of a long life lived together. My husband, our boys, and I taped our portion of the video; the boys made up a short, funny skit wishing Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa ... Read the Post
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