Few things are worse than being alone! Every problem looks bigger when faced without a friend. Working on a task with a team makes the work much less tedious; the results so much better. At our church yesterday, I watched… Continue reading

Making beautiful things While pulling out some dead vegetation and getting rid of weeds I whistled a tune. “You make beautiful things… out of the dust.”  Why? Because I was thinking what a privilege it was to be able to… Continue reading

The “Duck Dynasty” phenomenon sweeping the US has introduced a new phrase, said with a Louisiana drawl – “happy, happy, happy.”  Phil, the patriarch of the family, deals with life’s trials by encouraging his clan to be happy. The self-described… Continue reading

It was my day off. The lawn was mowed, household chores complete, car maintenance finished, and I was growing anxious.  I paced, flipped through a book, looked at magazine. Then, I realized I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. From what?… Continue reading

A few weeks ago, I asked a young man to mow my lawn after I was ill.  He hurried through the job.  He left areas untouched, the trimming half-done, and sped through the rest. It was ‘mowed,’ but not like… Continue reading

*a re-run for Labor Day! Then, there’s Monday! How do you feel about it?  Depressed about getting back to work? Eager to reconnect with friends? Dreading that first long meeting? Thankful that you have a job? Most of us feel… Continue reading

Warning – this is not an easy read. “Civilization” is a relative word, isn’t it?  Humans can be as brutal as any beast. Last week, we were stunned by the news report about three teenage boys, bored on a summer… Continue reading

The 12 year old in my household thinks he knows so much about life.  His ‘instructions’ can be humorous and yes, his certainty about things about which he is seriously misinformed can be irritating. Sometimes I unconsciously adopt a patronizing… Continue reading

Miley Cyrus put on quite a show at at the VMA awards on Sunday night. Her act had the press in a buzz.  This time around it wasn’t just ‘church ladies’ who were shocked. She went from entertainment to raunchy… Continue reading

About a year ago, I was gung-ho for my daily visits to the gym. I was engaged with my trainer, ready to get this old body in shape, feeling the need to be conditioned. By mid-October, the enthusiasm faded along… Continue reading