We've all been there, maybe we're there now, and most certainly we will be there sometime in the upcoming New Year: Up to our eyeballs in troubles, and it seems that the more we cry out to God, the farther away He seems. Or perhaps it is wisdom we seek. There is a...
That was one of my southern-bred mother's favorite expressions, one that I admit she had to use often. I was (still am!) the queen of seeing whatever I am upset about as being much bigger in the grand scheme of things as it truly is. Take, for example, how upset I got...
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4 ESV) An...
"We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor." (Romans 15:1-2 NRSV) Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) buried his wife and two children in...
This beautiful truck won first prize at a local classic car show. Not just because of the impressive exterior, or the great paint job or even those snazzy wheels. It won because of the engine, its components, the way it was built, the clean look and its performance....
During a recent trip, I held the arm of the flight attendant guiding me to my seat inside the airplane. "Here's your seat, Mrs. Eckles," she said. Not the bulkhead seat! After I settled in, I realized that, ugh! I was in the "bulkhead" seat. That meant there was no...
I don't know for sure why the tops of all the trees in the Northern-most corner of the island of Guadeloupe are all pointing west. I am sure, however, that somehow or another, it is related to wind. Maybe this happened as a result of the last hurricane to strike the...
(Written Mid-May) Spring is finally here. I'm not a big gardener, but I do like to plant spring flowers to decorate the front of my house. And so today I began to dig into the dirt and plant the pretty annuals that I bought. The longer I dug and sifted and mixed that...
I turned toward a new friend seated beside me during a writer's conference. "He's got to be kidding! Did I hear him right? Did he say what I thought he said?"Those questions ricocheted in this crazy chica's head when I heard him described what he did on the side.I let...
When troubles press in upon you from all sides, are you able to stand your ground? We all experience days where we feel deflated and just plain worn out. Our faith may wane and we become desperate for God to step in and provide a means of rescue. Let's face it, it's...