When I was raising my children, it was the little things that drove me to distraction. The attempt to come up with semi-nutritious meals three times a day, seven days a week. Making sure my children had clean clothes to wear (though whether they matched or not was another thing). Taking care of sick children […]
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As I look back over my life, I can recount incidents where I walked in and out of harm’s way, unaware of the potential for danger. I was clueless. But God kept me safe – as the saying goes, God watches over fools and drunkards. I’m not a drunkard, so I guess that leaves me […]
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As I’ve been reflecting on Psalm 103, the song from GodSpell based on this psalm, keeps coming back to me, filling my head with music: “O Bless the Lord, my Soul!” (1a, 2a, 22b) There are many reasons to bless the Lord. First among these are God’s mercy and steadfast love, as recounted in Psalm […]
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Season of Gratitude In the end times, at the end of the world, we will be divided into sheep and goats. The Lord tells us so. There will be a judgment. We will be judged by how we treated those who are most vulnerable among us, by our kindness to strangers, the poor and widowed. […]
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Season of Gratitude Oh, how I love that first bite of a cool, crisp, juicy apple! If I could, I would only have first bites of apples. I’d leave baskets full of partially eaten apples to use as fodder for animals. Others relish the whole apple, down to the core. They don’t stop eating until […]
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Season of Gratitude Lord, I am grateful for my children who challenge me to grow in so many ways, who challenge me to be more than I am. Lord, I am grateful for the struggles of married life that challenge me to always be open to new ways of relating. These struggles promote change, growth, […]
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Season of Gratitude I search in vain for someone to blame. My best intentions have gone astray, left on the wayside to be stepped on by other people’s boots–and my boots, too. If I can’t blame another, maybe I can blame circumstances . . . or God? Though I search for someone–or something–to blame, all […]
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Season of Gratitude I praise you, O Lord, for all your works are wonderful. How can I say this with genuine conviction? Do I truly believe in the wonder of all creation, as killer bacteria and viruses wreak havoc on total populations? As natural disasters, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, and tornadoes rumble and explode over your […]
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Season of Gratitude A bouquet of flowers! But . . . they’re so expensive. I leave my thoughts unspoken. You could have spent the money on so many others things: something more practical, gifts more lasting. Flowers fade so quickly! A bouquet of flowers! Why do I find it so difficult to accept the fragrant […]
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Season of Gratitude If I had three wishes, for what would I wish? My wishes have changed from those of my youth. Then, I wished for world peace and for an end to poverty. Money would have been nice too! Money would still be nice, but it’s not essential. How much money can I–one person–spend? […]
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