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, […]
Historical
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 […]
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 […]
Don’t Rain on our Parade
The rain started falling last night, tapered off this morning, and returned to drizzle around noon. The community held its collective breath—would the annual Springfield Oregon Christmas parade be ruined? Dubbed the oldest and coldest parade in the nation, the event would celebrate is 66th year of issuing in the Christmas season. The show had […]
A Holiday Welcome
2018 Holiday Blog Tour Stop #18 “Welcome to Mountain Brook Ink’s 2018 Holiday Blog Tour! We’re so excited you’ve decided to join us on this journey of family, friends, traditions, and memories over the next month. You as our reader have done so much to pour into our lives, and this season we want to […]
Thank A Veteran
Veteran’s Day, a special day in which we honor those who have served in our country’s military, falls Sunday. I was reminded this week of how much I owe those individuals who have given themselves to preserve my freedoms. My elderly neighbor, now 96, served as a gunner on a B-17 during WWII. My brother-in-law spent […]