"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thess. 5:18 NLT) "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable....
Admittedly, it's not always easy to be thankful when you're in the thick of life's obstacles. There are times when giving thanks is the last thing we feel like doing. But let me suggest to you that it's at those times of intense struggle, nagging worry, crippling...
"In everything give thanks." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) The ordinary, ho-hum everyday, something that's so easy to take for granted. Mountain-top experiences are wonderful but life is lived in the plains and valleys. It's practically impossible to overestimate the...
I took my grandson's and granddaughter's hands as we entered the huge cruise ship. "Look, this ship is so big, we even need an elevator to get to the decks way up high." They oohed and aahed. "And did you know there are three swimming pools and even a wall-climbing...
"The end of a thing is better than its beginning..." (Eccl. 7:8a) With Winter coming on I finally decided to replace the worn and torn blanket and quilt on my bed. Years of washing and dogs and cats jumping on them had left them threadbare and full of holes. I found a...
My mother has a big orange cat named Dundee. Dundee was a rescue kitten, but for the first three years of his life at my mom's home, he truly only had one problem in the world: my golden retriever. Every time we went away, grandma would have the privilege of looking...
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson went on a camping trip. After sharing a good meal and a bottle of Petrie wine, they retire to their tent for the night. At about 3 AM, Holmes nudges Watson and asks, "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see?" Watson...
"in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess 5:18) It was a cool November afternoon and I was standing ankle deep in leaves with a rake in my hand. The trees were almost all bare and it was time to rake the leaves before the...
I don't like fall. Now I realize that I'm in the minority here. Most don't care for intense heat of summer and are happy when the days start to shorten, the nights begin to cool down, and the leaves commence to change colours. Many go so far as to say that fall is...
My friend stopped by the other day and rumbled in her purse. "You have to see the pictures I took during our trip," she said. I smiled. "Oops," she added, "I always forget you...well...that you can't see." "I forget myself," I said with a chuckle. (I like folks with a...