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I’ve Got Spirit! How ’bout You?
Christmas spirit. You hear it talked about a lot this time of year, but what exactly do we mean?
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What Kind Of Leper Are You?
I learned something recently. Leprosy, although extremely rare, still exists and is now better known as Hansen's disease in the medical field. It is easily cured with a series of antibiotics and 95% of the population is naturally immune to it. So I don't think we need to be concerned.
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Faith to Move Mountains?
God is not to be thought of as a genie in a magic lamp that, if I have enough faith, will grant my every wish. And although some preach the power of positive thinking as the key to getting what we want, that seems to put more faith in our own will than in God's. This "positive thinking" kind of prayer seems to me as meaningless as saying you will send someone "positive vibes". (I've never understood what that was supposed to do.) It's almost an understatement to acknowledge that there have been times when, despite the fervent prayers of many very devoted and faithful followers, the answers did not…
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Reflections on Retirement One Year Later
You may be a fellow retiree or perhaps it is still far off, but it will quickly approach. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, be sure to firmly identify yourself as a child of God first and foremost. That will never change and your job description is permanent.
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Don’t Be Squirrely!
The other day I was driving into our neighborhood and a squirrel shot across the road in front of me. Now this particular squirrel was quick and spasmodic in his movement as most squirrels are, but also pretty flighty. He was completely beside himself in an attempt to decide which way to go. He darted back and forth probably half a dozen times within a two to three foot area just ahead of my approaching tires.
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Meet Me In the Garden
Finishing up my gardening that day, I was reminded of the fact that my heart has sometimes been rocky or thorny soil. It's a daily pursuit to maintain a soft heart that is receptive to the Holy Spirit.
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When Prayers Don’t Seem to Work
Sometimes unanswered prayers are painful. There doesn't seem to be any apparent good that can come from some situations. So many people were praying--and it wasn't asking for a miracle. Just freedom from complications.
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Flight Status: Peace or Panic?
A kind gentleman explained that I was the only passenger needing to catch my particular connecting flight and the timing may be pretty tight so they were offering me a much later flight that would go through Chicago. My luggage, however, would still go to Denver and I'd catch up with it, hopefully, in Minneapolis. Because these were final flights for the evening, if I missed my connecting flight I would be in Denver overnight, likely trying to sleep in the airport. I was in no hurry to make this decision and had many questions. The kind gentleman even brought out a map of the Denver airport so we could…
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Mom Reflections (applicable to all)
You may not be a mom reading this. You may not even be a woman. (Thanks for reading anyway!) But something I know about all of us is that it is easy to look back at things we've attempted to do well in the past and wishing we could have done it better. Or done it differently.
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Transition Turmoil
It's funny that the word "transition" also makes me think of the difficulty transitions are for students and teachers in the classroom setting. Transitioning from one activity to the next, or one place to another, is when most behavior problems would break out. The transitions are what teachers must prepare for and establish routines for and for which they should have an arsenal of tricks on the ready. Anytime we don't exactly know what is next, chaos can ensue. I'm feeling a little bit of that.
