This week the sun came out and, like an exclamation point on the end of a sentence, celebrated the first day of Spring. Temperatures soared near the seventy mark, a rare occurrence for Oregon weather in March. A mere three weeks before much of my home town had been buried in almost two feet of […]
Faith Matters
The Simple Shamrock
God’s Gift to a pagan people Did you remember to tuck your shamrock in your pocket this morning? Do you know the three-leafed clover was once used to teach the concept of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? If your memory hasn’t been nudged by these clues, it’s St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, March 17, 2019, […]
Gaining Perspective
This week, being the klutz that I am, I managed to dislocate my hip. Fortunately, I’m on good terms with my chiropractor and he saw me right away. Recovery, though, would take time. Standing often proved too painful, so I borrowed my wheeled office chair to give me mobility around the house. While I meandered […]
Without Warning
Last Sunday my family emerged from church to a rainy downpour mixed with a sprinkling of white snowflakes. I’d heard that we might see some snow in the mix Sunday or Monday, but no predictions of anything more serious were made. Rain and snow continued to fall throughout the day like a snow globe continually […]
Monday is . . .
President’s Day? Or is it Presidents’ Day? Presidents Day? Washington and Lincoln Day? In case readers think I can’t decide, I’m only listing the variations I discovered while researching the third Monday in February. According to different sources George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the most well remembered and most celebrated leaders of our nation. […]
A Taxing Opportunity
February has opened its sleepy eyes and stretched, playing the role of leader as we head through winter to spring. As in flowers, birdsong, and taxes. Taxes? Yes. I’ve been busy gathering my receipts this week, preparing to meet with my tax consultant soon. Though this is not a job I relish, it has to […]
Skin Color
This week our nation will pause and honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights activist who was assassinated in 1968. The day commemorates his birthday and remembers his work trying to move the nation closer to a unified racial front. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I wasn’t exposed to the […]
That Voice
Have you ever had one of those days? You know the ones I mean. The day begins with a snafu that you want to fix, but attempts to do so lead to more delays and roadblocks. Followed by more snafus, delays, and roadblocks. I had one of those this week. I pay the bills for […]
2019–Friend or Foe
Like many of you, I can’t believe another year is upon us. Within a handful of days, 2019 will utter the first wails of existence. Like a newborn baby in its mother’s arms, the new year arrives with a clean slate full of promise. Whatever events await us will unfold like a toddler learning to […]
Mary Still Knows
I first heard the Christmas song, Mary, Did You Know?, when my infant son was six months old. I was moved by the words of the songwriter when he asked “When you kissed your little baby, you kissed the face of God?” Like all new mothers I remembered the overwhelming awe of staring into the face […]