Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No big expectations or pressure to find the perfect gift. Just a meal with family and friends and a focus on giving thanks. However recent articles about the other side in attendance at the first Thanksgiving, the Native Americans, has left me wanting to shout—don’t mess with Thanksgiving! That First […]
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As the American celebration of Thanksgiving approaches, we, here in the US, are reminded about the importance of giving thanks for all we have. The Psalms are full of words of thanks and praise, praising God for who God is and thanking God for all God has done. But what is a sacrifice of thanksgiving, […]
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We are already into the “shop till you drop” holiday shopping season. This past weekend I raced to Target to beat the holiday rush and get toys for my grandchildren. I was met by families with excited children running up and down the aisle pointing out the toys they wanted. My mom, however, takes shop […]
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November 1 is All Saints Day. Catholic grade school children are parading school halls dressed like their favorite saint. We Catholics get two days of celebration. Halloween to end out the spooky days of October, and All Saints Day to introduce November, a time for giving thanks. All Saints Day also reminds me—I’m no saint! […]
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Chances are you’ve heard the phrase, “the devil is in the details,” meaning that something that appears to be simple can end up being much more complicated and difficult than you expect as you work out the minutiae. I believe God is in the details too. Some people think God is a big picture guy, […]
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Beauty is therapy was a treatment premise of Dr. James Decker Munson, one of the founding doctors of the Northern Michigan Asylum in Traverse City, Michigan. He served from 1885 to 1924 and was a proponent of moral treatment of patients. Beauty is Therapy is also the title of a memoir by Earle E. Steele […]
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That first sip of coffee or a frothy latte on a cold morning. Chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven. Pumpkin donuts and apple pie. Children at play. A baby’s smile. A bike ride through a tree covered lane, especially when fall colors are abloom. The joy of becoming lost in a good book. […]
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So nice to luxuriate in bed, no longer being shaken awake by an alarm clock and forced out of bed by a demanding schedule. Except for the demands of the dog needing to go out and eager to be fed, I could stay in bed all morning. But, I know, that is not good for […]
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I’ve recently finished a beta read for a book on the Psalms where the author looked for psalms not included in the book of Psalms. This got me thinking – what is a psalm? How do you differentiate from other poems in the Bible? And how did some come to be included in the book […]
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Sometimes as I sit quietly in my church’s Adoration Chapel, God gives me a word. Something to reflect on for weeks. Most recently that word was frustration. I realize, like many others, I’ve been feeling frustrated. Frustrated with the continued surge of COVID despite having a vaccine available. Frustrated by its continued disruption of my […]
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