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Springtime Flowers
Looking at my back patio was dismal. Last year’s plants had faded into wisps of yellowed memories. It was a site that caused my palms to itch, longing for my gardening gloves. So, off I went to the local nursery. Now, I know some people are addicted to different things – I have to be very careful when I decide to go to this place. I always have a dollar amount in mind, because if I’m not careful, the next stop is a Rehab Center in a group called “Gardener’s Anonymous”. Yep, it’s that bad. 🙂 Today, I was moderate. I only slightly exceeded my budget – but it was…
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After the Storm
This week was a definite roller-coaster. Early on, there were Texas-sized storms that rolled through, damaging the town where I used to live. Thankfully, nobody was seriously hurt. Although, there was a lot of damage. My dog – my girl Samantha hates storms. Thundershirt, tranqs, whatever it takes, we manage to get through. This one saw us holed up in the bathroom while my phone blinked “Tornado Warning”. As she sat on my lap, shaking and panting, I tried to soothe her. She’s normally not a lap dog. She likes to pretend she is independent. (They say dogs take after their owners, right?) As the two of us huddled, I…
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Lift Your Voice
One day during the extreme lock-down – it was as if fear was a tangible thing…a slimy, force that was breathing sulfur all around. My neighborhood was quiet – too quiet. There were no jets flying into DFW. It was as though the world ground to a halt. It was as if paralysis had set in. It was hideous. I had bought a guitar recently…a pretty Martin acoustic that replicated a dearly loved one that I had gotten on my 11th birthday from my parents. It became a sword, a shield and a flame thrower. When I think of it now – it was almost like taking 5 smooth stones…
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Ful and New
For the past few years, I’ve selected “My One Word” to carry with me for an entire year. It is chosen after consideration, thoughts and prayers. I was in a quandary in 2021, because I could not settle on a single word. The one word ended up not being an actual word, rather the suffix “ful”, which is used with words like: Grateful Wonderful Joyful Prayerful Beautiful Thankful Cheerful Truthful Skillful Hopeful Of course, there are other words on the “dark side”, which I stayed away from whenever possible. Still, I found myself being more aware of the positive side of being full.…
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Real Christmas
A portal was opened the day Jesus was born. God, in his Omnipotence forged a way to allow the finite to meet the Infinite. As He fulfilled the promises of ages past, wrapping Himself in the limitations of a human form, the “Word became flesh”. He changed everything in that instant. And yet, He remained God. It is stunning. This very act of creation and the physical being of Jesus transformed the dynamic in the heavenlies forever. No longer would Man be unable to reach a Holy, Sovereign and Omniscient God. Because of Jesus the Son, humanity now had a vehicle to step out of the snares of sin and…
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Abounding Grace
Dreams are powerful things – hopes, aspirations, goals – whatever you want to call them. I grew up in the country, among the rolling hills, trees and lakes in Michigan. In our family we simply refer to that time as “the farm“. My parents weren’t farmers, although we had an epic garden! After growing up and moving away, there has always been a part of my soul that longs for the whispers of the great white pine outside my bedroom window, the smell of freshly mown hay, the crickets singing in the fall…seeing the woods come alive in the spring… Sometimes suburbia wears me out. My dreams lead to open…
