-
Dear Young Friend Whose Parent Has Cancer
Dear Young Friend Whose Parent has Cancer, You’ve been in my mind and on my heart for so long now, I had to write out my thoughts or I would burst. You see, I once was you. I felt your fear, cried your tears. I was that kid whose parent had cancer. And though I cannot begin to understand ALL you’re going through, there are a few things I want you to know. First, it’s not your fault. For some reason as kids, we often think when bad things happen, we are in some way responsible. I know I did. I thought I did something wrong or at least wondered…
-
The Day of Uncertainty
What was it like on the day “in between?” When I read the crucifixion and resurrection events of the Bible I like to imagine what they were they thinking, feeling, experiencing – at that time – in that place. By “they” I mean Jesus’ friends, disciples, family members and loved ones. This morning I woke up wondering, did what they witnessed on that fateful Friday keep them up all night? As the horrors of yesterday replayed in their minds, did they wonder, “Did that REALLY happen?” Or “What could we have done differently?” Certainly, some were tormented by such thoughts. Others may have wondered, “Should I have done something?…
-
Come and See
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Can’t you just hear the sweet voice of Linus as he lisps these tender words, clutching his blanket, alone on stage? He is so sincere – as he often strives to be – and so convincing that I think, “He means it. He must mean it. Linus knew His Savior” …or perhaps his creator, Charles Schultz did. As of this writing, we haven’t watched it yet, but viewing “The Charlie Brown Christmas” is a must in our house each year. Another custom is the reading Luke 2. Traditionally I devour the…
-
Voting on November 8th – It’s as Simple and 1,2,3!
Guess what?! It’s almost over!! What an election year! I don’t need to remind you of the highs, and more often, the deep, deep lows of the last months. Like many, I have agonized over the “choices.” I have witnessed the mud-slinging shift from the debate stage to Facebook, pitting friend against friend as each of us has wrestled with the possibilities and feared for our country’s future. But after Tuesday, the decision will have been made. At least there’s some relief in that. Isn’t it interesting, though, that much of the controversy surrounding the two primary political candidates has revolved around the accusations of immoral and unethical behavior?…
-
Why I Stopped Playing Church
When I was a little girl, our family lived in a parsonage (a home owned by the church in which the pastor’s family resided.) Ours was an old 5-bedroom house, built in the early 1900’s. An enclosed porch graced the front our home and was big enough for a small table and chairs, a couch, and a podium. I don’t know why or how this wooden stand came to rest in the veranda, but there it was inviting this playful girl to turn the porch into a church and hold services. Being blissfully unaware of my denominations’ feelings about women pastors, I held marriage ceremonies for my stuffed animals and…
-
For the One
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14 (NIV) I love sheep. If you’ve known me a long time, you might know that already. I’ve been collecting sheep of all shapes and sizes for many years. When I…