Category Archives: God’s word

The Power in a Name

I had the pleasure of teaching in the public high school my children attended. Being in the same school had many positives, and maybe my kiddos would say there were a few negatives, too. One positive for my kids was that they had an advocate whose name carried some weight, particularly when they were late for class. They knew that their teacher would not question a hall pass signed by me. When they were late for some reason, they would make their way to my classroom and ask for a hall-pass. Being their mom made me want to have mercy on them. It didn’t take long for their friends to come asking for hall passes signed by me, too. I never had a teacher question a hall pass with my name on it in all the years I taught. You see, my name on the pass held a specific power.

Hobbling

It was all that downhill skiing as a kid that did my knee in, and now that I am older, I am certainly feeling the effect. Even taking a walk can be painful. I have found myself hobbling to avoid the pain of a knee. There is one big problem with hobbling, and that is that it makes other joints hurt as I compensate for the weak knee. Hobbling isn’t the way it should be, and it isn’t much fun either!

Keep on Keeping on!

Perseverance seems to come naturally to some. My young grandson, Jack, is an example of someone who has a natural bent towards persevering. Jack turned six this past week and was excited to get his very own brand-new two-wheeler. He jumped onto that bike and rode without any hesitation (or training wheels.) Whether learning to read or mastering rollerblades, Jack has an “I can do it” kind of mindset, and it has served him well in life so far. His perspective is one of enduring no matter how difficult the task.

A Brillant Idea!

During our most recent visit, I experienced a new treat, yeasted pancakes- oh my! It may be that the pancakes tasted so good since it had been a year or more since I had tasted syrup, or it may have been the way the generously sized pancakes were prepared in a little bit of oil, which made their outer layer a bit crispy. But whatever it was, they were delightful, and the mere thought of them as I write is calling me to return to the little café for another stack.

Getting Your Zzzzzz’s

One of the not so fun parts of getting older is not sleeping as well as I once did. As a child, I slept like a baby- well, actually better than a baby, I slept all the night through. Sleeping well has served me well all of these years. But more recently, I have found my sleep patterns to be a bit broken up. Waking during the night may seem unpleasant, but actually, it has its good points. I get a lot of reading and writing accomplished.

Things that Cannot Be Seen!

Years ago, while in high school, our pastor came to our youth group to give a talk. Although I would like to say I remember much of what he said, I do not. He said one thing that stuck with me, and here many years later, I remember it well. Pastor Mike said that although we think this world is our reality, it is not. This world is temporal, and soon we will be in our forever home- with Jesus experiencing actual reality.

Mr. Brown and the Shiny Clarinet

Mr Brown was a stern and stoic music and band teacher. Had I known what he was like I would have never signed up to take clarinet and be a part of the band. He was a task master; there was no fooling around in his class! I was nine years old at the time and that shiny clarinet had wooed me into signing up. I wanted to be able to play it well. I just didn’t want to play the kind of pieces Mr. Brown was assigning. I tried everything I could to get out of practicing those pieces.

What is Your Dream?

My husband gave me several books for Christmas, and so I have been reading a lot lately. I had forgotten how much I love to read a good book. “Traveling” to a place you have never been is one great benefit of reading. Jumping into history is another. Reading a good book can help the reader see from another’s perspective, have fresh insight, and challenge the reader to consider what they believe. And sometimes reading a good book can jog the memory regarding a truth once known but forgotten. But often, what I love about reading a good book is how my mind is stimulated to think more deeply, to ask more questions, and to grow in faith.